


And the dawn will come

by AloySobek



Series: Horizon dilogy [3]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, An attempt on the life, Artificial Intelligence, Cute Kids, F/M, Family, Gen, Hunters & Hunting, Kidnapping, Multi, Past, Post-Apocalypse, Post-Canon, Secrets, Survival, murders, tribes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29625900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloySobek/pseuds/AloySobek
Summary: Follow-up to "Just Accept and Forgive".It's been four years since Elizabeth was born. Everything was going well, and it would have gone on like this if not for the ill-fated trip to Meridian. Suddenly, the girl disappears, and, going in search of her daughter, Aloy realizes that the world is in danger again...
Series: Horizon dilogy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2167758
Comments: 3
Kudos: 2





	1. In Mother’s Embrace.

— Elizabeth! Elizabeth, get back here right now! — Aloy tossed the items she'd retrieved from the newly killed watcher into her bag and looked around for the girl. In such cases, red hair was just a salvation, and it was not difficult to see her against the background of rocks and trees.

Little Nora sat by the river and looked at the fish swimming in the water. Aloy had long noticed her daughter's interest in all living things. When the seeker first took her hunting with her, she was shocked when Elizabeth begged her not to kill the rabbit. But, for obvious reasons, he was still killed by a well-aimed shot, and then the girl began to have a tantrum.

On another occasion, they had tracked down a runner together, and Aloy was sure she would enjoy the process, but her daughter showed absolutely no interest. But she could sit and look at pieces of cloth and carved beads for hours. She often sat down next to Teb and watched him sew, and asked him to teach her how to do it.

To be honest, Aloy was often very jealous. Moreover, it began almost immediately after her birth. Used to holding a bow and completely unsure of how to hold a baby, she sat across from the screaming girl's bed and tried to figure out what she wanted. But Teb immediately found a way to approach her. There was silence in the house as soon as he picked her up, and laughter when he started talking to her. Elizabeth had always been closer to him than to Aloy. Perhaps that's why she adopted his peaceful and calm character.

In those moments when a ringing «daddy» sounded nearby, and then an answering «yes, Lizzie?», the seeker completely forgot that Teb was not her father.

Often, Aloy imagined Rost with them. So big, strong and caring that he would have lifted Elizabeth into his arms and put her on his neck in one motion, as he often did with little Aloy.

— Liz, I told you not to leave me! It's dangerous! — the huntress said, sitting down beside her.

— I'm sorry. — the girl answered guiltily, looking up at her with large gray eyes. When she made that face, Aloy always looked away. This sly little fox knew how to push pity and often used it. She knew that after this, no one would punish her anymore. And no matter how the seeker tried to ignore that look, it didn't work. Today's case was no exception…

— Okay… — Aloy sighed, — But don't do that again. There are scrappers on the other side of the river, and I don't want anything to happen to you.

— Don't be afraid, mommy. I'll hide in the bushes like you taught me. Like this! — she took off and scurried into the nearest bush. Through the thickly growing tall grass, a shock of fiery hair was barely visible. Indeed, she is not visible. But the rustling and sniffing gave away, — See, no one will find me!

— Of course, when you learn to be quiet… — Aloy smiled slyly and ducked into the grass nearby. From here, she had a clear view of the small bush where Elizabeth was sitting.

— Mom? — the girl crawled out of hiding and looked around, — Mom, where are you?

She got to her feet and started walking toward the thicket, still looking around. There was a hint of excitement, even fear, on her face, but Aloy wasn't going to get out and calm her down. She moved a little, and the thicket swayed. Liz let out a short sigh and staggered back, staring at the grass all the time.

— Mom, is that you?.. — she squeaked softly, coming closer. When the girl was very close, Aloy jumped out, grabbing her and causing a loud squeal, which was soon replaced by laughter.

— Gotcha! — the huntress spun her around in her arms, moving smoothly across the clearing. Elizabeth laughed out loud until her mother finally lowered her to the ground, — You didn't see or hear me. Now let's go home.

— Yes! — grabbing Aloy's hand, Liz skipped along beside her, — Daddy promised to make soup!

— Why… someone stopped me from killing the goose again. — the seeker chuckled, — Which means there won't be any of your favorite soup today.

— How's that?.. — Elizabeth stopped and looked into her eyes, disappointed. They stood there for a while, until Aloy's laughter finally betrayed her joke, — Mom!

Birds were singing in the valley. The water in the rivers gurgled and splashed loudly, hitting the rocks. The wind whistled through the mountain peaks, and the machines went back and forth, sometimes growling.

Aloy looked from side to side to see if there was any danger, then at the red top of little Nora's head. Elizabeth's hair was cut to the middle of her neck to keep it out of the way, and some of the strands were twisted into braids or plaits, and each of them was decorated with a wooden bead.

The clothes were made by Teb. It was summer, so she was wearing a thin short-sleeve shirt, knee-length pants, and light leather boots. Also tied around her neck was a blue handkerchief, just like Aloy's, and a braided bracelet dangled from her left arm.

Soon they were at the gate of the Mother's Heart. There were two warriors, one of whom Aloy recognized as Varl. He saw her, too, and came over, motioning for the other two Nora to open the gate.

— Aloy, — he said, — How are you?

— It's fine. Thank you, Varl. Here, we were just on the hunt. She's not interested at all. — she sighed, nodding at Elizabeth, who had gone to the bridge and was looking at the webbing that connected the logs. — Are you standing guard today?

— Yes. My mo… Sona went beyond the Embrace, and I was told to stay here.

— Why did she leave?

— Some band of bandits were seen in the districts of the Mother's Crown. They've been looting our villages for quite a while now, for two years. They appear unnoticed, rob people, and then disappear. And sometimes for months. And then they come back and rob again.

— Can't the warriors track them?

— Well… as you can see, no. So Sona decided to go and get it over with. — Varl finished.

— It's all clear now. Okay, nice talking to you, Varl. We'd better go. Come on, Liz! — Aloy turned, but didn't see her daughter, — Shit! I told her not to run away!..

— I'll help you find her. She couldn't have gone far. — Varl said, taking a step toward her.

— Yes, but there are plenty of machines even close by! Hurry up, let's go! — they crossed the bridge, and Aloy turned on her focus, scanning the area. He immediately found the girl's tracks. They had only walked a few dozen meters before they saw Elizabeth. She was standing near the bushes and there is something to be considered.

— Liz! — Aloy ran over to her, squatted down, and turned her around.

— I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I won't do it again! — the girl was confused, putting her hands behind her back.

— Okay, but more… wait, what do you have there? — the seeker got to her feet and tried to step around her daughter, but she jumped back, still holding something behind her back, — Elizabeth, show me.

The answer is silence. Aloy sighed and reached out to grab it, but little Nora moved even further back.

— No…

— What do you mean, «no»? Liz, show me what you're holding!

— Nothing…

At this time, Varl stealthily approached from behind and abruptly pulled the object out of the girl's hands, then handed it to Aloy. Elizabeth looked from him to her mother, hurt and frightened, and then lowered her head.

It was a beautiful Carja knife. Its blade glittered in the sun, and the carved handle was painted with beautiful patterns.

— Where did you get this? — Aloy asked in surprise, turning the weapon over in her hands.

— I found it… — Liz squeaked, still not looking up. Knowing that she would hear nothing more from her, the huntress hid the knife in her bag, took her daughter by the hand and led her towards the house…

… In the morning, Aloy went hunting, and when she returned, she found that the knife was not in the bag. At home, another surprise awaited her: Elizabeth was missing.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Morning of the same day. Mother's Cradle…**

Elizabeth walked quietly down the street, avoiding the Nora standing there. Since she was small, she was almost ignored, as was the knife, which she held tightly to herself.

At last the village was left behind, and the girl came out on the path that led up the hill. She quickly looked back and ran towards it, almost tripping over a rabbit that had thrown itself at her feet. She had never run so far alone before, and she was terribly afraid.

She had to tell Teb that she was going for a walk, and surprisingly, he let her go. Liz knew that when dad was very busy, sometimes he couldn't hear what was being said to him, and he'd been working hard since this morning.

When Elizabeth got to the top, she immediately saw a man sitting in the bushes. He saw her, too, and turned, motioning for her to come closer. The girl froze, looked around, but still came up to him, holding out the knife.

— Here, — she said, — I brought it.

— Well done. — Nil picked up his blade, put it to his face for some reason, and then tucked it into his belt, then got to his feet. — I think we should take a walk. — he reached out to take her hand, but Elizabeth jumped back:

— Where to?.. — then she added, — My mommy doesn't let me go out with strangers.

— Your mother won't mind, by the Sun. We are familiar with she.

— Really? Do you know my mom? — her voice stopped trembling, and she moved a little closer.

— Yes. — Nil stretched slowly, stretching his back, which was stiff from the awkward position, — She and I… worked together. Will you come with me now? Just promise me you won't tell anyone about our meeting.

She stared at him for a moment, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Nil nodded in response, then took the girl's hand and led her down the road.…

**A few hours later. A Mother's Heart…**

Aloy shot a watcher in the eye on her way home, finishing off the machine. She was terribly tired, and wanted to get to the village as soon as possible. Also she has time to miss Teb and Elizabeth. And yesterday's incident still stuck in my mind. Why was she acting so strange, and where did she get this knife? If she had found him, how could he have come to be in her Arms? And why didn't she want to show it? Strange. Very strange.

After a while, it reached the Mother's Heart. The warriors standing guard immediately opened the gate as soon as they noticed her. Aloy nodded to them and went in, almost running in, wanting to get home as soon as possible.

— Teb? — Aloy opened the door and saw the stitcher sitting on his bed, holding his head, — Teb, what's wrong? — suddenly she realized that her daughter was nowhere to be found, — Teb, where is Elizabeth?

— Aloy… — he looked broken and very guilty, — Aloy, I'm sorry, I had a lot of orders, I worked all day. She came up to me and asked for something, and without thinking, I said yes. I'm sorry, I really didn't think this would happen…

— Oh, Gaia! — Aloy rubbed her temples and squeezed her eyes shut, then took a deep breath and picked up her bow, — I'll find her. She couldn't have gone too far, I'm sure. — she looked at Teb, who was still looking at the floor, and sat down next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder, — Don't worry, everything will be fine. It's not your fault, Teb…

Aloy suddenly remembered running away from Rost as a child. He kept telling her not to, but she wouldn't listen. She was interested in watching the children of the tribe, the hunters. Well, now it is clear where the legs grow from…

The hunter turned on the focus, left the house and was about to go look for her daughter, when something made her stop abruptly…

**A few hours ago. South Gate of Embrace…**

Elizabeth had been sitting on a rock and crying for an hour. Much to Nil's surprise, she threw a fit as soon as he killed a turkey for dinner. And no matter how much he tried to calm her down, nothing helped.

— Look, if you don't stop, I'm going to leave you here alone! — he shouted, when his patience was exhausted, and the girl suddenly stopped crying, making only small sobs. — That's better. Now come on, I need to wash your face.

— My daddy n..never yells at me!.. — Liz whined, grabbing his arm and moving her legs quickly, trying to keep up with him.

— Really? — Nil spoke up, — Even when you're acting like this?

— Yes. He also doesn't kill anyone. And my mom says that animals should be killed, otherwise we will have nothing to eat.

— She's right. What will you eat besides meat?

— Weed. You can make delicious tea from it. And berries and mushrooms. — the girl, who had already stopped crying, replied.

— It's very cold here, and you can't last long on herbs and berries alone. But there are many different fruits growing in the Meridian. They are sold in almost every shop in the bazaar.

— My mom told me about the Me… Meridian. She said there were a lot of very dangerous machines out there. — Liz said, looking up at the Sun and squinting against its rays. Then she tried to wipe the last of the tears from her face, but in the end she only smeared them even more, — And my dad…

— Hey, can you not talk about your dad? — Nil interrupted, suddenly stopping in his tracks and glaring at the surprised Elisabet.

— Why not? — she asked, batting her still sparse but black lashes, — My dad…

— I'm your father, girl! — the man suddenly shouted, causing the girl to recoil a little and open her eyes even wider.

— What?.. That… That's not true! It's not true! You're lying!.. — Elizabeth screamed back, clenching her hands into fists.

— No, it was your mother who lied to you! She took you, and then she lied to you!

— No! No, that's not true! You're lying, you're not my dad! — she took a few steps away from him, and then it was obvious that the tears were beginning to come back to her eyes. Her eyebrows were drawn together like her mother's, but still rather pale, and her lips were pursed, which reminded Nil a lot of Aloy's face when she was angry.

— Do you want me to prove it to you? Come over here. — he took her hand and led her to the river, which they had already reached, — Look, — he said, pointing at the reflection, — Look at your eyes. They're gray, like a knife blade glinting in the sun. Now look at mine. They are exactly the same. — ignoring Elizabeth's dumbfounded and uncomprehending expression, Nil took her hand and showed it to her, — Look at your fingers. They are flat, thin, as if designed to pull the bowstring and shoot arrows. Now look at mine. They are the same.

Liz took one of his thumbs and examined it with interest. Her mouth was open, and she didn't understand. She wanted to go home, she wanted to go to her mom.

— You… are you really my dad? Why… why didn't my mother tell me that? — Liz asked, still holding on to his finger.

— You see everything, girl. — Nil replied, then looked to the west, — The sun will soon set. I need to get you home. Let's go.

They moved slowly towards the Mother's Heart, and when the smoke could be seen rising from the chimneys of the wooden houses in the distance, he squatted down in front of her:

— Come to the same place tomorrow. But remember, no one can know about this. Especially your mother.

— All right. Bye! — Elizabeth waved at him and ran to the bridge…

**Present time. A Mother's Heart…**

Aloy stopped abruptly when she saw the girl running toward her. She herself immediately rushed to her, either with a desire to scold her, or to hug her.

— Mom! — Elizabeth jumped on her neck and clung to her tightly. Now Aloy realized that she would not use the first option.

— Elizabeth, where have you been? — the seeker asked, breaking away from her and looking straight into her eyes. She won't swear anymore, no. But the questions were still unanswered.

— I… — little Nora mumbled, — I was going to pick some berries, and I got a little lost…

— Why didn't you wait for me? — there was silence. Aloy took a deep breath, then lifted the girl into her arms and carried her into the house. She wanted to ask Elizabeth about the knife, which she also didn't find in her bag, but when she heard a soft sniffle near her ear, she immediately changed her mind.

Gaia! She looked at this tiny creature and at the world full of dangers, even in her thoughts afraid to connect them. The curiosity that had accompanied Aloy all her life was also there inside Elizabeth. And that was what could make her do something stupid, fall into a trap.

Aloy knew she couldn't protect her from everything. But she desperately wanted to make this world a little calmer and safer. And the only way to do that would be to restore Gaia and its subfunctions, to subdue the machines.

And someday she will. For Elizabeth. For everyone.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys who just read this! Please don't jump to conclusions about this work! Now you may think that everything here is quite boring, but believe me, this is just the beginning. Or, if you didn't like the first part, still, try reading this one. The first part was really more focused on something calm and cozy, if there you did not have enough plot and some actions. But this one, on the contrary, is focused on adventure, battle, and mystery.
> 
> So that... don't rush to close the page now.
> 
> With respect, AloySobek))))


	3. Chapter 3

— Aloy?.. — the redhead spun around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Teb. He closed the door softly, careful not to wake the girl on the other side, and sat down next to Aloy on the bench outside the house. It was still quite dark, but the Sun was beginning to creep out from behind the mountains. — What's happened? It's still too early…

She leaned her elbows on her knees, gathering her hands into a lock.

— It's all right, really. — finally, she said, and after a brief pause, added, — I'll be home today. I should be spending more time with her, not constantly disappearing on the hunt.…

He could hear the excitement in her voice. She looked broken and not at all like herself.

— Aloy, you're doing everything you can for her. You spend a lot of time with her and…

— And that's not enough. — Aloy interrupted, frowning, — Rost did a lot more than that. He was with me as long as he could. We did everything together. He helped me, and I helped him. He taught me everything he knew… everything that's going on with Elizabeth right now is my fault.

A flock of geese flew over the village. They screamed and flew in the opposite direction from the river. Yes, there are also frequent watchers, they could well scare off the birds that crouched there.

— But she… admires you. — Teb said abruptly, and Aloy whirled around to face him, eyes fluttering in confusion, — She's always talking about how strong you are and how good you are at fighting.

— Yes, but she never shows any interest when I try to teach her…

— Maybe… maybe it's just too early? — stitcher took a lock of her hair in his hand and rubbed it a little in his hands, then divided it, untangling the knot, — And she will definitely show your character and… his.

— Teb, no. I don't want to think about it. And… with all my heart, I hope that she will not have his character. — the seeker objected, sighing and looking up at the Sun. It always rises in the East and sets in the West.

Aloy suddenly thought that the most beautiful dawn she had ever seen was near the house. Even before Rost woke up, she would go out into the street, cross the little bridge, and go up to the landing above. From there, I could see my Mother's Heart and the Sun coming out from behind the mountains. Well, the best sunset of her life was in Meridian. Standing on the bridge leading to the city, one could watch the fireball linger for a moment over the Meridian, slowly descend into the gorge and disappear there.

City of the Sun. The place she had wanted to show Elizabeth before she was born. And then she often told her about it, and promised to take her there some day.

— Teb, do you think I… could go with Liz to Meridian?

— Well… the Seeker's mark will protect you both, so…

— No, that's not what I'm asking. — Aloy interrupted, — Will she survive such a long journey? And how do you see it?

— I think she can handle it. — Teb nodded, — And I…I'll be glad if she sees something interesting.

— But you won't be able to come with us, Teb. The matriarchs took the mark from you as soon as you returned.

— Nothing. I'll stay and wait for you here. And pray that everything goes well.

Aloy moved closer to him and put one hand behind his back and the other in front of him, connecting them. Teb, in turn, hugged her back. The soft spring wind blew over them, making them forget all their problems even more. Aloy liked to sit there. It was a kind of… release for her. It relieved the tension that did not leave her on the hunt, and in general constantly.

— Mommy… — there was a creak of a door, and then Elizabeth came out of the house. She was barefoot and wearing only her nightgown, but she didn't seem to mind at all, even though it was quite cold outside.

— Someone woke up early, too, didn't it? Come over here. — Aloy called, and when the girl came over, she took her on her lap. She was still very warm, as she had just got out of bed, and she was constantly yawning, — Elizabeth, I want to tell you something.

— What?.. — Liz yawned.

— Remember I told you about the City of the Sun, soaring over the canyon, where they live Carja?

— Yes. You said there were a lot of dangerous machines out there.

— Well, we can handle them. — at her words, Elizabeth stopped yawning and turned to face Aloy, — You and I will go to Meridian.

Little Nora froze in place, her mouth wide open. Her gaze darted from Aloy to Teb. She didn't seem to want to believe everything that was happening. Aloy couldn't tell if she was happy or not until Elizabeth threw her arms around her neck and laughed:

— Really? Hurray! Great! When are we going? Yes, yes, yes!.. — she pulled away and clapped her hands.

— Wait, wait, wait. — Aloy put her hands on her shoulders, — We'll only go if you promise to listen to me and not leave my side. Is that clear? — she watched as Elizabeth unconsciously copied her expression, also raising one eyebrow and pursing her lips.

— Yes! Yes, I agree! — the girl finally replied, hugging Aloy again.

— And there's another condition. We'll go together.

Elizabeth looked at Teb, then at her mother:

— What about dad? Why doesn't he come with us?

— The matriarchs won't let me in. — Teb explained to her, — Your mother has the Seeker's mark, so she can leave the Sacred Land and come back here. I was also given this mark, but then it was taken away.

The sun was already fully out of the mountains, rising above the ground, casting light on the houses of the Mother's Heart. And in a couple of days, they will meet the dawn already in the Meridian. A city where the Sun shines almost all year round…

***

— Hey! — Aloy shouted, looking up. They had been standing at the gate of the Sun Tower for half an hour, waiting for someone to hear. She hadn't been here in a very long time, and anything could have changed in that time, but if the gate was closed again, something must have happened.

— Mom, I'm tired… — Elizabeth squeaked, holding onto the seeker's hand, — Why aren't they letting us in?..

— I don't know, Liz. — Aloy said, stepping closer, taking a deep breath, and shouting again, — Is anyone there? Open up! — and a couple of minutes later, they saw Carja's guard up there.

— Go away! No one will pass here until the situation improves!

— What happened? — Aloy asked, surprised.

— A few days ago, assassins attacked the Morning's Watch and slaughtered half the warriors. The survivors reported that they were moving East, and we closed the border.

— And you didn't hear from them after that? — the huntress lifted her daughter into her arms and held her close. Yes, they had chosen a good time to go to Meridian.

— No, it's quiet for now. But it's still dangerous there, so no one is allowed in. — Aloy looked at the strider standing behind her, then at Elisabet, who was falling asleep, and took a determined step toward the gate:

— Don't you know who I am? Open it immediately!

— I know! A few years ago, you saved King Awad and the entire Meridian. But you can't let anyone in! — the guard replied and was about to leave.

— What do you want? To have this girl torn apart in her sleep by the Sawtooth, of which there are plenty here?! Let us spend the night in the Tower, or you'll get an arrow in the head, and I'll still climb over the wall and go where I want to go!

— All right! Open the gate! — he shouted to his men, and the gate was finally opened in front of them. Aloy whistled to the strider, who followed her inside.

She spread a fur blanket near the fire and put their things there. Then they lay down and almost immediately fell asleep, exhausted by the long journey…

***

_The sky turned blood-red, and a shadow fell across the places that had just been lit up by the Sun. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and there were ruins in the place of the Meridian. And not a single living soul._

_— What's going on?.. — Aloy thought, before the ground began to crumble beneath her. The huntress jumped to the side, and the next moment, a huge machine came out, crumbling stones. She didn't know what it was, and the focus only said «System error»._

_— Aloy! — a familiar voice shouted, and right next to the monster, she saw a woman with short, fiery hair. Elizabeth? Elizabeth Sobek?.. — Aloy, help me!_

_The Seeker grabbed her bow and ran to the woman, but as she took a couple of steps, she heard another voice behind her:_

_— Mom! Mom, help me! — Aloy looked around and saw a crowd of strangely dressed and heavily armed masked men, and one of them was holding little Elizabeth by the throat. Her Lizzie, — Mommy!_

_— Aloy! Aloy, please! — meanwhile, the machine let out a high-pitched, eerie roar and began to move towards Dr. Sobek. Aloy lunged at it, hoping to at least stun it and distract it, but:_

_— Mom, save me! — another of the aliens drew a knife and swung it at the girl._

_Suddenly, her vision went dark. She could no longer hear the screams, the roar of the machine, or the storm. There was only a headache and an impenetrable darkness…_

…The bright sunlight shone directly into her eyes, so when she got tired of squinting, she finally opened them. It was quite chilly. The fire went out.

Yes, it had been a long time since she'd had such dreams. Apparently, it's because of the guard's stories about the gang of bandits yesterday. Of course, it was only a dream, but with what was happening outside of the Sacred Land right now, the danger was real. Only here… what does this have to do with machines?.. And… Elizabeth Sobek?

— But how so? She'll be worried… — the seeker heard somewhere not far from her, and only now realized that Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. Oh, what is it?..

Aloy got to her feet, swaying a little more, and walked toward the sound. The gate they had entered through yesterday was open. Had someone let her out?

— But my mom said it was dangerous. She won't like it…— the girl spoke again as Aloy approached the gate. Who is she talking to?

When she reached the landing next to the Tower, she looked around. Elizabeth was standing next to the bushes, and when she saw her, she immediately turned around and ran to her.

— Good morning, mom! — she said, smiling, but when she saw Aloy's displeased face, she immediately stopped doing it, — What's wrong?..

— I told you not to go anywhere. — was the only thing her mother said to her, after which she crouched down and looked straight into her eyes, — Who let you out?

— The strange man who wouldn't let us in. I asked him to come out here for a walk, and he let me in.

— Okay, then who were you talking to?

— Not with anyone. — Elizabeth glanced quickly at the bushes, then stared at the ground.

— Really? Maybe I should check it out after all. — Aloy stood up and tried to take a step in the right direction, but her daughter stopped her:

— No, no! Don't! There's just… There was a fox, I talked to her. — Liz barked, blocking the road, — Don't look, Mom…

Aloy took a deep breath, looking into Elizabeth's large eyes. So scared and excited, but she don't know why. Why doesn't she want to tell her what's bothering her so much? Why doesn't she tell her everything like before?

— Listen me… — she went back down, — You don't have to hide anything from me, you know? I want to help, but I don't know… how. And if you're in danger? How can I save you if I don't even know… from what. Lie is never good, Elizabeth, do you understand?

Little Nora took a step forward and hugged her tightly, and after a while, she mumbled into her neck:

— I see…

— Very well. — Aloy lifted Elizabeth into her arms in one motion and walked toward the Sun Tower, where their belongings were left, — We must eat now. We need strength to get to the Meridian…

Yes, they were supposed to reach Meridian today, no matter what. And she would hope that they could get there without incident.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

— Wow! What's tha… — cried Elizabeth, lifting the head upward, but did not finish as Aloy closed her mouth with his hand, excitedly looking back at Thunderjaw. Seem to be he didn't noticed…

— Be quiet. This is one of the most dangerous machines, Thunderjaw. And if he sees us, he'll kill us…

— But how? — the girl asked in a whisper, hiding behind her mother. Aloy put her on the strider in front, and she sat behind her, so that she could take the blow on her back in case of what, — He is so far…

Aloy spurred the strider and turned toward Meridian, hiding from the machine behind the wall of one of the ruins.

— Well, first of all, he runs very fast and in a couple of seconds he will be next to you, and then he will hit you with his tail or head. Such a blow is fatal even for the strongest warrior. — the huntress explained, watching her daughter listen intently with a serious face, — But if the distance is really long, I don't think he'll run right away. Rather, it activates the disks launchers or cannons on the sides of head, and shoots you.

— Disk Launchers? What's it?

— There are two large rigs on its back. From them, he releases disks into the sky, and from each of them a laser departs, which is aimed at you. If you don't bounce back in time, the disk will explode with you…

The iron horse quickly covered the distance, and soon the desert and rocks were replaced by a forest with trees that Elizabeth had never seen before. A huge stone arch appeared in front of them, and near the river to the left of it, broadheads grazed.

For the first time in a long time, Aloy felt free. She felt the wind in her face, the space. It was as if she had discovered this vast world full of new and unknown things again, as she had done five years ago, after the Proving. It was as if all the roads were open to her again. It was as if only yesterday she had destroyed Hades and saved the world from destruction.

— Stop! — one of the guards standing near the archway shouted, stepping forward and spreading his arms, — Leave your machine here, it doesn't belong in the city.

— No problem. — Aloy shrugged, getting off the strider and taking off Elizabeth and her bags, — Come on, it's not far.

They had only taken a couple of steps when the man suddenly called out to them again:

— Wait! Weren't you the one who saved King Awad and the entire Meridian a few years ago?

— Well, yes, I am, actually. — Aloy replied, squeezing the girl's hand very hard when she felt the girl dart to the side, apparently seeing something interesting. No, she wouldn't let her go now.

Hearing no more questions from the guard, Aloy continued on her way. Even from here, I could hear the hum, conversations, and shouts of domestic animals, but I couldn't see the Meridian itself. It was hidden by the dense foliage of the trees growing on the edge of the cliff.

But soon an open space appeared, and the huntress immediately picked up her daughter in her arms. For two reasons: to make it easier to hold her and… to give her a better view.

— Look, Liz, — she said, leaving the last tree behind, — Еhis is Meridian. City of the Sun.

***

Erend took a small sip from his mug, then set it aside and rose from the bench where he had been sitting. Since becoming captain of the Vanguard a few years ago, there had been a lot more work and responsibilities. He could only sit in bars and get drunk in the evenings, but often by the end of the day he didn't even have the energy to do that, so the habit of drinking began to gradually disappear. In a way, he was glad of it.

— And so, guys! Tomorrow, the Sun King will go to speak with the head of the Hunters Lodge, and we must ensure his safety! — Erend said, distracting the Vanguard warriors from their conversation — Four of you should be in the House by now, and three more will accompany me to the Palace of the Sun and accompany the king. The rest of you patrol the city and make sure that everything is in order!

Suddenly, he noticed that all his subordinates were not looking at him at all, but somewhere ahead. Something behind him. But before Erend could turn around and look at the object that had so interested the warriors, he heard:

— I'm glad to see you, Erend, Captain of the Vanguard. I don't want to distract you from important matters, but I thought you might want to say hello. — he couldn't believe his ears, but he still kept his back to the source of the sound until another sentence rang out, — What's the matter? Are you that busy, Captain? The man turned abruptly, and could barely force his mouth to close and speak:

— A.Aloy? Aloy! You're back! I mean… you're arrive! Anger and flame, how many years have passed! — Erend took two long strides toward her, coming very close to her, but he didn't dare go any closer, because he noticed a little girl who was hiding behind Aloy in fear, peeking out a little and blinking her big gray eyes, — Aloy? This…

— Yes. — the huntress nodded, laying her hand on the top of her daughter's disheveled red head. — Her name is Elizabeth. Well, or just Liz, it's easier that way.

— Elizabeth. — he repeated, leaning forward a little, — Hello. I'm Erend. Did your mom ever tell you about me?

— No… — the girl said more confidently, when suddenly her gaze fell on the armor worn at Erend, — Wow! What heavy clothes! — she stepped forward and began to feel the metal parts on the armor.

— Do you like it? Armor Of The Vanguard! Leather straps, ring locks, very strong! Made by the masters of the Oseram. — Erend explained, but realized that all his explanations were not interesting to the girl, so he switched to Aloy, — What do you do in Meridian?

— Well, I promised you I'd bring her back, so… — Aloy raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest, — I wanted to show her the world, but it seems… I chose the wrong time.

— What happened?

— Did you hear about the attack on the Morning's Watch?

— Yes, there were rumors that almost everyone was killed there. — Erend nodded, — How did you cross the border?

— I… made a deal. Although, to be honest, I had the idea to turn back. — she glanced down at Elizabeth briefly, — I don't want to take any chances with her life.

— I understand that. But… she's safe in the Meridian, you can be sure of that.

— I hope so.

The City of the Sun hadn't changed a bit since she'd been here. All the same noise, talk, music, the aroma of spices and colorful shops with unusual fruits and silk fabrics.

How she had marveled at every little thing when she first came here. Then her eyes just ran away, and my ears buzzed with a completely unusual noise. And a lot of people. In the Sacred Land, you can't see such a crowd even on the holidays in the Mother's Heart, and here in Meridian, it's a completely normal everyday occurrence. Aloy couldn't imagine what it would be like to be here on the day of a celebration. You'll probably drown in this crowd.

What was with little Elizabeth like now? She has lived all her short life in the quiet village of Nora, where there is no such thing, where everything goes on with a measured life, where, when you wake up in the morning, you hear someone's prayers and the distant sounds of machines, and you can smell the herbs laid in baskets. Here everything was different. The girl was holding on tightly to Aloy's hand, and she was not herself. She wasn't trying to run away, she wasn't even talking. The abundance of new smells, sounds, and people seemed to completely confuse and frighten her, so Aloy decided to pick her up again.

— All right, Erend. I've already taken up a lot of your time. — finally, the seeker said, — We'll go, no more distractions. Maybe we'll meet again when you're free.

— Well, actually, I'm not busy right now. — said Erend than surprised by the Aloy, who immediately pointed out to him the soldiers of the Vanguard behind him, — No, I already gave them instructions. I… unless I have to go to Avad and tell him something.

— That his safety is assured for tomorrow? — she prompted.

— Exactly. But I don't think anyone would mind if you kept me company? And Avad including.

— No, I'm object. — Aloy said suddenly, grinning, and Erend raised his eyebrows, — Because I'm not going anywhere without Elizabeth.

— Hah! I'm sorry! Will you both keep me company?

— Yes, Erend. Now let's go. — she gave the girl a little lift, changing the position of her arms to make it easier to carry her, — Are you ready? Now you will see the Sun King himself.

They quickly made their way through several streets, pushing through people and waving away merchants who called them to their shops, and soon found themselves at the bridge connecting the palace to the city. From there he could see the village below and the royal cornfields, and from the other side he could see the Bright Market.

As they approached the entrance to the terrace, Aloy saw one of the guards move to stop her, but Erend immediately signaled that everything was under control, and he calmed down.

The sun terrace is also almost unchanged. It seems… not long ago, she was fighting here with the Derval and the kites, which he called here with the bait. And then, from the same spot, they saw the bridge collapsing, and hordes of machines coming towards the city.

— Erend! Avad is already waiting for you over there. — a rather familiar voice said, and Aloy saw Blameless Marad pointing to the right. She had never trusted him, but so far he had been loyal to the King and the House of the Sun. — Aloy! How many years!

— Not as much as it looks. Hello, Marad. — she said, and followed Erend, not wanting to continue the conversation.

Avad was sitting on one of the sofas under the awning, reading a book, but when he heard footsteps, he was immediately distracted from his work. And when he saw the people approaching him, he couldn't help but be surprised and dropped the book from his hands, unable to close his mouth.

— Aloy! Aloy, I… — the man got up from the couch and approached them, — I don't even know what to say. This is so unexpected.

— A few days ago, I wouldn't have thought… — Aloy smiled at him, remembering for a moment how their last meeting had gone, but then she pushed the thought aside and promised herself not to think about it again. — Nice to see you too, Avad.

But the king had already turned his gaze from her to Elizabeth, who was also staring at Avad.

— I see you both like to play staring contests, but should I introduce her first?

— Yes, I'm very curious about the name of the little copy of Aloy. — he nodded.

— Elizabeth, — the girl said before Aloy could open her mouth.

— Elizabeth of the Nora tribe, daughter of Aloy of the Nora Tribe, savior of Meridian and tamer of machines! Sounds great. — Avad said, and looked around as if hoping to see someone else, — Aloy, where is this girl's father? — he looked at her and saw a very thoughtful face, as if she didn't know what to say, — Oh, no, I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?

— No, it's all right, Avad, I just… — Aloy thought for a moment, then looked at the other man resolutely, — He stayed on the Sacred Ground. The matriarchs forbid those who do not have the Seeker's mark to leave it, otherwise they will be banished from the tribe.

— So he's a Nora, too?

— Well… yes. Yeah, but let's… let's talk about something else, okay?

— Of course. — Avad agreed, and turned to Erend, — Did you want something?

— Yes. Let them know that everything is in force, and tomorrow morning the Vanguard will arrange a meeting with Talanah Khane Padish, the Sun Hawk of the Hunters Lodge. That is all.

— All right, you can go now, Erend. Thanks. — then he turned back to Aloy, motioning her to the sofa and offering her a seat, — You know Talanah Khane Padish, don't you?

— I'm her Thrush. Four years ago, we killed Redmaw together, and I thought… the king should have been notified.

— I can't remember everything, Aloy. — Avad shook his head, — But if that's the case, why don't you accompany me tomorrow?

— What? — she looked at Liz, who was playing with the curiously patterned pillows, and then back at the Sun King. — Me? But isn't this an important meeting where only the relevant people are present?

— You're not interrupting. Especially since I could use a good and trusted bodyguard.

— Isn't the vanguard enough already? — Aloy chuckled.

— You don't want to?

— Awad, I didn't come alone. And I don't want anything to happen to her.

— It won't happen. I can set up a personal guard for her, and they'll make sure she's all right in your absence.

— I think she'd rather run away than spend the whole day with them!

— Well, what about Erend? She already knows him, and I don't think she'll run away from him. — Avad suggested, and Aloy considered his words. Indeed, it would be a good idea…

— But he's going to accompany you tomorrow, isn't he?

— I don't think he'll say no. You'd be a good substitute.

Aloy took a deep breath, folding her hands in her lap:

— Is it worth it?..

Abruptly, Avad placed a hand on her back, moving a little closer. She turned her head in his direction, waiting for him to say something, but for some reason the king was silent for a long time.

— Don't be afraid. Erend will watch over her and protect her. Nothing bad will happen, by the Sun.

Aloy nodded and closed her eyes briefly. Well, she would trust them and go for it. Will go at your own risk. But if something really happens, this vow is unlikely to help anything…

***

— What did you find there? — Erend walked over to the girl, who was busy on the grass, looking at something. He decided that there was nothing to do in the city, so he led her to a clearing near the river that separates the Meridian from the dense forests.

He had never seen anyone react to the Great Elevator the way this girl did. When they entered it to go down to the village, she looked at the iron bars and the carved floor with unusual surprise, and when the cabin began to descend quickly, she laughed aloud, and Erend could not help smiling.

— Worms. Look how beautiful they are! — she took a long, slimy worm from a small hole and handed it to Erend.

— Oh! It's… very… dirty. — it was the only thing he could think of, but when he saw Elizabeth's displeased face, he immediately thought of a way to cheer her up, — Look…

Erend poked the worm sharply with his finger, after which it began to twist and turn violently in the girl's hands. She looked at him and laughed out loud again, and when the worm stopped twitching, she poked it with her finger, and it stirred again, making little Nora laugh.

Suddenly, somewhere a few meters behind him, by the river, a strange sound was heard. Erend looked there and noticed an object. Where did it come from, I wonder?

— Wait a bit, I'll be right back. Just don't go anywhere!

— All right. — Elizabeth said, still playing with the worms.

The captain of the Vanguard came very close to the river and soon noticed the very object he was looking for. It was something round, wrapped in a bright red cloth and tied with a rope. Erend crouched down and carefully untied it, expecting to see something unusual, but an ordinary stone fell out of the rag onto the ground.

— What the… — he tossed the rock into the water and put the rest in his pocket, then hurried back to the clearing, — Elizabeth, do you know what I… — but the place where the girl had been sitting was empty, — Elizabeth?

He quickly went to the nearest thicket, parted the bushes, but found no one. Panic began to slowly grow inside him.

— Elizabeth! Okay, this isn't funny anymore! Come out! — Erend peered into the nearby bushes, — I found the biggest worm! Come here, look! — but no one came, — Oh, anger and fire! Please come out!

Now he was really scared. How? How could he not keep track of a four-year-old child? Where could she have gone? He was only gone for a minute!

— Aloy will kill me! She'll… she'll kill me on the spot for this!.. I have to find her…

Erend stayed there for about two more hours. He searched all the immediate surroundings, asked people he met on the way, returned several times to the clearing, hoping that Elizabeth would return there, but it did not work, and in the end he returned to the city and reported everything to the remaining Vanguard. Those who did not take part in the king's protection in the Hunters Lodge.

The warriors went on a quest and Erend left to wait. What? Well, there are only two options: or they'll find Elizabeth, or Aloy will return from the meeting earlier and then… Then he is finished… oh, Anger and Fire! If only they could find her!

To be continued…


	5. Fogs

— Thank you so much for your help, Aloy. I'm sorry I wasted your time. — Avad placed one of his hands on his chest and leaned forward a little in gratitude. That was all he could afford, since the Sun King was not supposed to bow to anyone.

— Not at all. It's all right, Avad, I'm glad I came here. Now I have an appointment with Talanah.

— Is that good?

— Yes. I haven't spoken to her in a long time. — she looked down briefly, then back at Avad, — I… I have to go. I hope you don't mind?

— I know you already miss your daughter. Really? — he smiled softly when Aloy was slightly embarrassed by his words. Yes, she was willing to admit that she had already missed her, even though it had only been a few hours.

— You're right. Anyway, I don't want to bother Erend too much. I don't think he wanted to be a babysitter. — a genuine but restrained laugh came from the king's lips. Often, Aloy felt very sorry for Awad. He had been brought up in the palace, taught from childhood how a prince, perhaps even a future Sun King, should behave. He never had any friends, only subordinates and guards. He couldn't let his emotions run wild because he didn't allow himself to. Perhaps Erza was the only person who was a real friend to him, a support. Someone he could be himself with. And now… he was trying to find a replacement for Erza in her.

— See you later, Aloy.

She nodded to him and walked briskly to the place where they had agreed to meet Erend. She wonder what he and Elizabeth were doing.

After descending the stairs and passing through several noisy streets, Aloy came to the exit of the city, where the Vanguard warriors always sat, talked, and ate. Surprisingly, most of the tables were empty, and the only sounds were the city guards ' arguments and the hum of the shopping malls left behind.

— Strange… — the huntress said under her breath, and came a little closer. Erend was sitting at the table, which she hadn't noticed at first because of the fountain that blocked it off. Her brows instantly drew together, and her head instinctively turned first to the right, then to the left. No, he was really alone, and the fact that his face was covered with his hands did not mean anything good. Her heart began to beat faster, and she quickly walked over to the table, — Erend? Erend!

He jumped a little, took his hands away from his face, and looked up at her as startled as he could be.

— Aloy? You…are you done yet? And I… thought that…

— Erend, where's Elizabeth? — the seeker braced her hands on the table.

— You know, she's…

— What? What's wrong with her? Where did you put her? Answer me!

— We… we went out for a walk on the west ridge, across the river. Everything was fine, she was sitting and playing with the worms, and I was there, constantly watching her. — Erend began, trying to hide from her gaze, — But then I heard a strange sound, like something had been thrown, and I went to look. — he reached into his pocket and pulled out a red cloth and a rope. — Look. A stone was wrapped inside. I went back, but she was already… gone…

Aloy was seething with anger, fear, and frustration. At one point, her head began to ache and her hands began to shake, but for the first few seconds, she couldn't bring herself to say a word before she snapped. She couldn't remember ever yelling at anyone so hard:

— How could you lose my daughter? I left you to babysit for just a couple of hours, and you managed to lose her?! You assured me that everything would be fine! How could this happen, Erend?! What do you suggest now?

— Listen, calm down, Aloy! The Vanguard is already looking for her, and I'm sure they'll find her soon. She'll be here soon, don't even doubt it…

— Where could she have gone in a minute?

— Well… there was only one option. Into the forest… But I searched every bush in the area, and she was nowhere to be found.

— Did you leave her alone next to the forest?! — Aloy cried again, — There could have been robbers coming out, there could have been a car coming out! There are stalkers near the western ridge, Erend! How could you…

— I'm sorry! Ah! Anger and fire! I… I'll never forgive myself if… something happened to her. — he went on to say something else, but she wasn't listening. His only thought was to find Elizabeth as soon as possible. She could just run away and hide somewhere in the thicket to make fun of Erend, but it was just as likely that someone would steal her.

— All right, then. Tell me exactly where you last saw her. — Aloy finally said, turning to face him. There was no time to lose.

— I told you, across the river, opposite the western ridge. There should still be small holes and excavated earth. Come on, I'll show you…

— No, stay in the city and wait. Maybe they'll bring her in. Then immediately send someone to me to inform me. That's all I'm asking. — the seeker walked briskly toward the lift, leaving Erend alone. She didn't want to swear at him so much, but in this situation, she just couldn't help herself. Yes, it could have been Liz's jokes, yes, she'd let her slip out from under her nose more than once during their walks together, but… she'd trusted him. Avad swore that everything would be fine, and Erend promised that he would return her safely, and in the end… How can you trust anyone after that?..

Aloy suddenly remembered the red rag that Erend had shown her. Why is that? Why would someone wrap a rock in there and throw it? To… distract? After all, it was after Erend left to see what it was that Elizabeth disappeared. It wasn't a pleasant guess, because all it could mean was that it wasn't a joke at all, and that someone had deliberately distracted Erend to steal Elizabeth. But… who would want an ordinary four-year-old girl? What for?

Soon, she had descended to the village and came to the place indicated. Aloy walked around the clearing and found some broken ground and a few holes. So this is where she was sitting.

— Well, let's see where she went… — the huntress turned on her focus and scanned the area with it.

He instantly found something near the bushes. She moved closer, parted them, and saw the footprints. And… not just one person. There were small footprints, Elizabeth's footprints, and next to them were large footprints, and they were well etched in the ground. So someone had been watching them from here for a long time, and then had distracted Erend and taken Elizabeth away.

Aloy swallowed nervously, closing her eyes briefly to calm herself, and then scanned the area again. The tracks continued into the woods. It's understandable why Erend and Vanguard couldn't find her.

But she will. She'll swim across the strongest river, climb over the highest mountain, kill everyone who gets in her way, but she'll find her. She'll find her Elizabeth.

Aloy stepped into the thick brush and disappeared, following the trail…

***

**Three hours ago. The Western ridge.**

— Just don't go anywhere! — Erend shouted and left. Elizabeth remained sitting and looking at the worms. They kept twitching funny, and she liked it.

Suddenly, the bushes behind her parted, and someone gently pulled her arm. The girl turned around in fright, but when she saw the man who had come for her, she calmed down:

— Hi! — she said, but Nil put a finger to his lips and hissed, telling her to be quiet.

— Let's go before he comes back. Rather. — but Elizabeth didn't move, so he dragged her into the bushes without thinking twice.

— What about my mom? — she spoke softly, following him and dodging the branches of the trees.

— You remember what your mother did, don't you? — Nil answered the question with a question, looking down at her.

— Yes. She tricked me. — Liz mumbled, and stumbled a little on a rock that got under her feet, — But she'll be worried.

— I can bring you back if you want, before we go too far.

— No, I don't want to go back. I want to go with you.

They walked on in silence. In the Jewel, as the Carja called these forests, it was very dark and humid, even during the day. Birds were calling somewhere above, and sometimes a fox, a rabbit, or a wild boar could be seen through the thicket. In places there were cars, and then they hid in the bushes and slipped past them unnoticed.

Nil looked at this girl and realized that she was nothing like him. But she was a part of him, an extension of him, and she had his blood in her veins. He wanted to make her a real warrior, who accurately shoots the enemy in the heart and cuts the robbers throats, becoming the last thing they see in their lives. And in her was found the blood of Aloy, the hunter from the tribe of Nora. So capable, but very conscientious. The one they fought shoulder to shoulder, clearing the ground of rot. She was one of those people Nil truly considered a worthy rival, and, moreover, a loyal partner. Alluring, but dangerous… And this girl was a generation of both of them. She could grow into a warrior that this world had never seen before.

— Daddy! — Liz called, tugging at his arm. She had started calling him that only recently, during a meeting at the Sun Tower, — I'm hungry!

— But we've only just started walking. Wait a couple of hours until we get to the campsite, and then I'll kill some animal.

— I want to now… — she drawled. Yes, she could make a good warrior. But yet she was just a child who whined and constantly asked for something…

… By evening, they were far to the southwest, not far from the lake that separates the lands of Sun Carja and Shadow Carja. There, near the forest, was a campfire, where Nil had set up camp.

Elizabeth finished a hastily fried piece of meat and immediately fell to the ground, fast asleep. The man sat looking at her for a while. He didn't feel tired, because it was common for him to cover such distances. She, on the other hand, never seemed to go that far.

A thick fog descended on the forest. Moreover, so low that almost nothing was visible at a distance of more than two or three meters. Soon Nil lay down, too, putting the knife beside him. This was a habit of many hunters and warriors, because danger could come from anywhere, and it was important to always be prepared for it…

…He was awakened by a loud squeal nearby. He immediately jumped to his feet and saw a masked man grab the girl and put his hand over her mouth, retreating into the forest and disappearing into the fog.

Nil started after him, but the other two came up behind him and wrung his hands. He struggled for a long time, until someone hit him on the head. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw were a few more people in strange ragged purple clothing and masks, disappearing into the white smoke after the first one.

***

Aloy walked all day and all night without stopping. The trail wound and twisted back and forth through the woods, and for a moment she thought it would never end, but by morning she was out in the open. A hundred meters away was the lake, and very close to it, to the left, was the smoke of an extinguished fire. The trail led to it.

There were scraps of food by the fire. They ate. Both. Aloy immediately knew this, because there was too much meat left on one of the bones, and Elizabeth always left just that much, no matter how much she was persuaded to finish it all. Well. At least now she was sure Lizzie wouldn't starve to death. Although, it's very strange that the kidnapper suddenly decided to feed her.

— So… And then where did you go?.. — Aloy used the focus again, and what he found surprised her, but also made her tense. On all sides around the fire, there were many footprints coming from the forest. Is… is someone else here?

She crouched down in the place where there was the largest accumulation of footprints. Heavily trampled and… drops of blood. Was there a fight? And at the place where Elizabeth's trail ended, there were traces of another person. Not the ones she'd followed earlier. So… she was stolen from the person who stole her from Erend?

Aloy didn't understand at all. Why would anyone want Elizabeth? Moreover, more than one person needed it.

Suddenly, she felt the focus pick up a signal. Very close, as if… almost underfoot.

— What a… — the huntress looked around and noticed another focus a meter away from her. He was lying on the ground, near the bushes. This made the overall picture even more strange. One of these people had a focus. Yes, it could just be the robbers who were rummaging through the ruins and accidentally found it, but if not… oh! In any case, there was nothing good here!

Putting the device in a belt bag, Aloy found the trail of the group of people and followed it, having time to think with disappointment that she would have to wade through the forest again…

…A few hours later, she came to a high wooden fence, consisting of logs with sharpened ends, rising high to the sky. There were mountains on both sides of it. Apparently, these people had deliberately settled in the gorge so that no one could attack them.

The focus beeped, and Aloy noticed that almost everyone in the camp had focus. This is bad. Elizabeth was kept almost in the center, and it would be difficult to get there without being seen.

The seeker quietly approached one of the rocks and began to climb. A little higher up was a wide ledge on which she could take a good position and shoot down the men in the camp. There weren't many of them, maybe ten or twelve. At least they were the ones she'd noticed.

Finally, she was there. From above, she saw a fairly large area, surrounded on all sides by mountains. There were several tents, and in one of them focus found a girl. But something else caught Aloy's attention: on one of the rocks, a symbol representing fire was painted in red pigment. But this is… the symbol of Hephaestus. What's he doing here?..

Now she was sure they weren't just bandits. And that they didn't just kidnap her daughter. But it was too early to think about it now. It was impossible to think of anything else while Elizabeth's life was in danger. She'll figure it all out. He'll figure it out as soon as he saves her.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

The bowstring pulls almost soundlessly, and Aloy waits for the man in the strange mask to move away from his companion and stop to kill him without being seen. Now, every action she took could lead to irreversible consequences. One slip, one wrong move, and she would never see her daughter again.

Finally, he was far away from everyone and stopped in his tracks. The Huntress took aim. I had to hit him right in the head before he could scream. Her hand was shaking treacherously from being so tense for so long, but she managed to focus on the target.

A shot. The body fell noiselessly to the ground. Now the main thing is that no one will find it.

Aloy sat there for a long time, waiting for the right moment to kill the others, but they were all huddled together. In the end, she managed to catch a few more people, but even though four were killed, there were still too many people in the camp.

There was only one option-to go down. It was risky, but had to pull out Elizabeth, and when she was sure that no one is looking in her direction, then quickly hung from the cliff, and clinging to ledges, carefully descended to the ground and immediately sat down in the bushes.

The tent in which the girl was kept was quite far away from her, but it was not so crowded in this part of the camp. Moving quietly from one tent to another, as well as hiding in the bushes when someone passes by, Aloy finally found herself very close to the target. Now the most important thing. Sneak in, and then sneak out, too.

She waited for a good moment to jump into the tent, having time to notice out of the corner of her eye that one of the bandits saw something. He must have noticed the corpses. This is bad. Now we need to act even faster.

Inside, right in the center of the tent, lay something covered with a large amount of dirty rags and moving feebly. Aloy immediately rushed in and threw the rags around. Her heart sank as she saw Elizabeth's tightly bound hands, feet, and mouth, as well as the many bruises and tears running down her red cheeks.

Without thinking, she picked up the spear and carefully pricked the cloth with it, cutting it open, first freeing the girl's limbs and then her mouth.

— Mommy! — little Nora clung tightly to her neck, still crying. Aloy couldn't imagine how scared she was right now. She held her close as tightly as she could. Now she won't give her to anyone. Never.

— Calm down, Lizzie, it's all right. We're getting out of here now. — but they won't just run away. There was already a commotion in the camp, and they had to figure out how to climb over the cliff with her.

Aloy looked around, and immediately had an idea. Taking one of the rags and making two cuts on each side, she told Elizabeth to put her feet in the second cut on each side, and then leaned it against her and tied all the ends on her back. It was a bag of its own kind, and now it was safe to climb the rock, and also to shoot if necessary.

— Hey, go check on the girl! — there was a shout from the street, and Aloy immediately prepared, drawing an arrow and drawing the string. The footsteps grew louder, and as the man entered the tent, the seeker fired, putting an arrow right in his eye.

Then she cautiously looked out, once again reminded Elizabeth to hold on tight, and jumped out, instantly finding herself in the bushes. Masked men walked in circles and looked around the camp. At any moment they could be found and killed…

No! She wouldn't let them kill Elizabeth! They'll get out of here no matter what.

— What's that? — one of the men turned to face them and began to approach. This is still not enough, — I see something! — he kept coming toward them, and when he was very close, Aloy stuck her spear in his chest and hid in the bushes again. She didn't want Lizzie to see the murders at such an early age, but she had no choice. Oh, if they hadn't gone to Meridian, none of this would have happened!

Making sure that no one could see them, the huntress ran from the bushes to the next tent and hid behind it. Then to the next one, and on, until at last she was near a rock. It's the only way out.

— Here they are! Over here! — the warrior shouted, and a whole crowd ran towards the cliff. Six masked men in strange clothing surrounded them from all sides. The distance between them did not exceed three meters. Any one of them could attack or shoot right now, and she wouldn't be able to fight or dodge properly with Elizabeth tied to her.

One of the enemies lunged at them, and Aloy quickly fired at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. She furrowed her brows and grinned at them as she reloaded the arrow:

— The one who makes at least a step, will be the next! Back! — the bandits looked at each other, then slowly approached. Aloy stepped back and pressed her back against the rock. There's nowhere to run now. If she tried to climb, someone would shoot an arrow at her. She kept her sights trained on one or the other, even though she knew that if she fired, they would be attacked, and it would be almost impossible to fight them off.

— Ah! — the man suddenly shouted, and fell. An arrow shaft protruded from his neck, and blood dripped onto the ground. Who did this?

The one closest to Aloy and Elizabeth also received an arrow, only this time in the head, and his body fell right at her feet. Did… someone else break into the camp?

— I see him! — the bandit pointed in the direction of the gate, which had somehow been opened, and everyone else ran in. Aloy watched carefully, but saw no one, when suddenly one of the masked men who had been the first to disappear through the gate was not thrown back, only already dead. And then a man with a helmet with blood-red feathers ran into the camp, and the seeker opened her mouth in surprise. What was he doing here?

But there was no time to think, and from the look Nil gave her, it was clear that she had to leave quickly while he distracted them. Aloy looked at the rest of the gang, made sure they weren't paying attention to her, and ran for the exit. And how did he open that gate, she wonder?

After leaving the camp, Aloy ran for a distance of about ten meters and only now was able to calm down. The bow and spear were tucked behind her back, and her arms instinctively wrapped around little Elizabeth's trembling back. All the while, she held on tightly to Aloy with her legs and arms, closing her eyes in fear.

— You're safe now. Everything will be fine now… — to be honest, she wasn't quite sure who she was trying to convince more — Elizabeth or herself.

Meanwhile, the shouts and sounds of battle from the camp had stopped, but for a long time Aloy did not dare to go and check the situation. After waiting for a while, she approached the gate and scanned the area with her focus. He's alone. All the bandits were dead.

— It's been a long time since we've met on the battlefield, right? And then there are the robbers, and a common goal. — the man said as Aloy entered the camp and stood in front of him.

— What are you doing here? — it was the question that most interested her at the moment.

— You came to save your daughter, don't you see?

— Hah! Your daughter? Really? And how did you know she was here? — she looked first at Nil, then at Elizabeth, who was looking back at her, and her mind began to clear a little. Carja's knife, Liz's constant disappearance, the incomprehensible conversations at the Sun Tower, — W. wait. Did you… did you steal her? And you… followed her there, in Embrace?..

— Well, I don't think my explanation is necessary anymore. — Nil shrugged, and while Aloy was recovering from the shock, he began to untie the makeshift bag that Elizabeth was sitting in.

— What's that supposed to mean? — she finally said. — Why on earth are you stealing my baby?

— And my.

— No, not yours. — she gripped the girl's hand, which was already on the ground, tightly, — Why are you doing all this? You wanted freedom, so be free, I'm not bothering you! Just don't get in my way, is that clear?! Why do you give her up and then come and take her away?

— She's got my blood in her. And anyway, I didn't steal her, she came with me herself.

— Who do you think I am, Nil? She would never go with a stranger. She has her father, she has me, she… she doesn't have to run away. Do you really think I'll believe you?

— Ask her yourself. — he shrugged again, — It was so nice to be able to do what I missed so much again…

— Elizabeth? — Aloy leaned over and looked into the girl's eyes, — Tell me, did you leave of your own free will?

She was silent for a long time, looking down, until finally she said softly, barely audible:

— Yes… Mom, why did you tricked me?

What? What a…

— Me? Tricked you?.. I don't understand, Elizabeth, what does that mean?

— You… you said my dad is the dad who stayed at our home, but he's actually my dad. He also said you took me away…

Aloy stood with her mouth open for a moment and didn't know what to say. That's it, then?..

— Of course, Lizzie. Exactly. — she said, no longer speaking to her, but to Nil, — I took you away from your father, who is only interested in murder and all sorts of talk about death, and who, moreover, left as soon as he found out about you! But he probably didn't tell you about that.

— What?.. — Elizabeth looked at Nil, but he didn't answer her. A look of confusion crossed the girl's face. She turned her head in different directions in fright, and then just sat down on the grass, with her knees drawn up to her, and burst into tears. Aloy knew how bad she was feeling, but as with most things, she couldn't understand why she was crying.

— Elizabeth, what's happened?

— You… you're all lying to me!.. I… I want to go home… I want to my daddy!.. — Liz whined, rubbing her eyes with her hands. Teb really always calmed her down, always knew what to say. She felt comfortable and at ease with him.

— Okay, calm down. We will definitely go home, but not now. We have to get to the Meridian now. — Aloy glanced at the corpses in the camp and the strange symbol on the rock. She had to find out what it was, but… she couldn't leave Elizabeth.

— I can take her to Meridian if you want. — Nil suggested, apparently understanding what she was thinking. The Huntress looked at him in surprise, one eyebrow raised:

— After all you've done? How can I trust you?

— She'll be there tonight, I promise. No one else would dare take her away. And if he tries, his next breath will be his last.

Aloy rolled her eyes and sighed thoughtfully. It was a risk. Again. She couldn't risk her daughter's life again, but she also couldn't ignore all these strange things. Nil was a good warrior and could protect himself and Elizabeth, but… It was still very dangerous.

— So, what do you say, Aloy?

— So that she can be at the Palace of the Sun tonight, okay? Tell that you're from me, and Avad will understand and do whatever is necessary. — she said, lifting Elizabeth from the ground and handing her over to Nil. — And remember, if anything happens to her, I will find you and kill you, wherever you are.

— If that happens, I'll come to you myself.

— Don't get too worked up, I don't want it to come to this.

— You don't want me dead, or her dead? — her green eyes met his, cold gray ones. It was as if she was trying to find the answer to that question in them, but she couldn't.

— And that, and another. Now go. — she turned her back on them, so as not to waste any more time, and was about to go when she heard a soft voice behind her:

— Mom…

— See you later, Lizzie. I'll be back soon, I promise. — the girl nodded back, and then they disappeared into the thicket of the Jewel.

***

Aloy went to the corpses in the camp. Almost all of them had focus, and that was the first clue. Who are they, if they found them in such numbers and know how to use them?

She picked up one of the devices and scanned it. Several files immediately appeared in front of her eyes. Without thinking, Aloy opened one of them. The conversation was recorded. And, apparently, the recent:

_— Attention, to stop the movement to the East! The object is moving towards the Meridian. — a man's voice called out. Movement to the East? Are these the same people who killed the guards in the Morning Watch? Object? Were they… following Elizabeth? No. They were watching her._

_— Then intercept him and bring him back to the base._

_— Yes, there is._ — that's when the recording stopped. Aloy turned on the next one:

— Can be a problem. The object is a threat and is under constant surveillance. We will not be able to take it.

— Think of something. And as soon as possible.

Is the object a threat? Well, it is. But… why would they want her?

— Captain, we've got the girl.

— What? What other girl? What are you doing there?!

— This is the savage Nora's daughter we need. We're sure she'll be here soon.

They took Elizabeth… as bait? They knew she was coming for her, and they were waiting for it. But their plans were ruined. Although it probably won't end there. But… what does Hephaestus have to do with it?

There were no more entries, but in one of the files she found a map with two dots marked on it. One was to the south of the Sunfall, and the other was even further away, far to the West. Are these… their bases?

Aloy copied the data from the focus she found and left the camp. Now she was heading West, toward the nearest base of the gang. whoever they were and whatever they wanted, it was connected to her, and she couldn't go back until she found out why she was being followed and hunted.

To get to the territory of the Shadow Carja, she had to either go around the lake or swim across it, and Aloy chose the second option, because it was much faster.

But as soon as she walked a little way in the right direction, she noticed the tracks. They led away from the camp toward the lake. Did any of the bandits manage to escape?

Aloy went back to the camp and counted the corpses. Eleven. Eleven out of twelve. One of them has escaped and is probably going to report everything that happened. And if he had a focus, he already reported it, that's for sure.

Well, nothing. She would find them and find out what they needed. She might have to go very far, but she had to do it. After all, if Hephaestus is somehow connected with this, then it means a real threat. And not just to her, but to the whole world.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is a new chapter. I hope you like it, and I really look forward to your comments)


	7. Bunker

— Well… it looks like it's here… — Aloy said to herself before the focus picked up the signal coming from the gorge again. Not far from the entrance there was a bonfire. The Valley of Omens. A place where for many years he lived Thunderjaw, mutilating and killing many soldiers, including Helis's soldiers. Until Ghaliv sent her here to get the heart of the iron beast. And she went. Otherwise this grief-healer never would cure Shianah, sister of Abas, a refugee from Sunfall.

She didn't understand, where did the signal come, but I guess it is because of him Thunderjaw lived here and never left. But what could be at the base of these bandits that the signal was coming from?

Aloy crouched quietly and began to move toward the base. It was not visible for a long time because of the unusual shape of the rocks and trees, but when the same high wooden fence finally appeared, the huntress froze in place. Surely many of the people who are now on the base have focus. And she wasn't supposed to be noticed.

Looking closer, she saw a footprint on the ground near the fence. As she had guessed, the last survivor had escaped and was heading this way. To the nearest base. And, most likely, they are waiting for her.

She scanned the camp. There were at least twenty people behind the fence. And even more. She couldn't kill them all alone, even if she really wanted to. So she'd have to get in there somehow, get the information she needed, and then slip away as well. But from previous experiences, she knew that it was almost impossible.

— ATTENTION, THE BUNKER DETECTED! THE BUNKER DETECTED! — a voice spoke in her right ear, and Aloy immediately looked in the direction the signal was coming from. What? How could there be a bunker here? And… what is it? Why did these people settle here?

Aloy crept a little closer, almost to the fence, and climbed up one of the higher rocks. In the very center, inside the mountain, was a very small iron door. So this bunker is underground. They probably didn't even try to get in there. It wouldn't have worked. You probably need access. And for this — a genetic profile. And only she has it.

There were also a lot of tents on the base, there were images of fire everywhere, that is, Hephaestus, and, as she thought, a lot of armed people with focuses. But she had to get into that bunker and find out what was there.

And then Aloy came up with a plan. She went down and went to the gate, knocked loudly, and then hid in the bushes. And soon one of the warriors came out.

— Who's here? — he looked around, but saw no one, so he was about to turn back when he heard a whistle coming from the bushes. When the man got very close, Aloy jumped out and stuck a spear in his throat, immediately dragging the body into the bushes.

After that, she quickly began to pull off his clothes. It was big, so you could put it right on top of your own. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and hidden under her clothes, because it was because of them that she could be revealed. The last one was the mask. It was wooden and badly worked, so it scratched her face, but she didn't have to choose.

Taking a deep breath, Aloy picked up the dead man's weapon and entered. No one paid any attention to her. The disguise was successful. Well…

She tried not to stand out and behave like the others, but at the same time slowly approached the goal. The main thing is that no one speaks to her, otherwise…

— Stop! — someone shouted at her. No! Not that, — Did you see anyone out there?

Aloy felt sweat trickle down her face, and her heart began to race. Think, think, think!..

After standing for a while, she shook her head, as if to say that she hadn't seen anyone outside.

— What's the matter? Why are you silent? — the bandit did not lag behind, coming even closer. For a moment, she thought he was staring at her breasts, and she tried to tell herself that she was only imagining it. The clothes were quite spacious, and the distinctive body parts should not be visible, but suddenly… She was sure that there were no women among them, so no one should have seen her breasts or heard her voice.

The warrior continued to stand in front of her, and then Aloy decided to cough. It wasn't easy to make the coughing sound realistic, but she did the best she could, wheezing and sighing heavily.

— Do you have a sore throat and can't speak? — he finally guessed, and she nodded vigorously. — Take a tincture from the general supply later, maybe it will help. — she nodded again and hurried away. Got through…

At last she came to the door. At the top was a small device. It was the same as the other places she'd been. Now it was necessary to quickly remove the mask, gain access and enter there. And then hope that the door closes and no one chases after her.

— Hey! Come here! — they called her again. No, she can't wait any longer…

Aloy tore off her mask, tossing it aside, and walked right up to the door. The device was activated.

— Identification is being made… — came a voice overhead.

— It's she! Surround her, guys! — shouted from behind. She could hear them coming, hear their loud footsteps, but she couldn't turn around. Then the process is interrupted and everything is lost. There was no turning back.

— Genetic profile confirmed. Entry is allowed. Hello, Dr. Sobek. You can pass now. — the door began to open, and the men behind it stopped, stunned by what they saw and heard. Taking advantage of the moment, Aloy quickly jumped inside, and ran through the corridors, and the door, fortunately, closed, leaving behind a crowd of warriors.

***

Nil and Elizabeth reached Meridian late in the afternoon. The girl fell asleep in his arms in the middle of the journey, and only now, thanks to the noise in the streets of the city, woke up.

The man very much doubted that he would be allowed into the Palace. Aloy said the Sun King would understand, but how do you get to this king?

After passing through several streets, they came to the bridge and headed towards the Palace. As usual, there were guards at the entrance. When the distance between them was no more than a meter, Nil looked at each of them and tried to pass. But right in front of him, two halberds immediately crossed.

— Where are you going? The audience with the King is over for the day. Come back tomorrow, along with the others.

— I must see the king now. — he asked, pointing at Elizabeth. — Do you know whose child this is? Aloy, who saved Meridian and the Sun King! She needs to be taken to the Palace!

— Get out of here! — the guard still said firmly, frowning at Nil. The man was already reaching for the knife at his belt. He was ready to get rid of them if necessary.

— Wait! — they all turned sharply towards the Palace and saw Avad, coming towards them accompanied by two soldiers of the Vanguard, — What's going on here? Elizabeth? Where's Aloy?

— Your Highness, this man demanded to see you. — one of the guards reported. Avad walked over to Nil and looked him in the eye:

— I remember you. Once you confessed to your crimes, and I sent you to the Sunstone Rock. I hope this helped you. But tell me, what do you want?

— This girl was stolen yesterday, and Aloy and I freed her. She went off to look for answers, and she told me to bring her here and give her to you. — Nil said.

— I heard about what happened. And I'm sorry. I promised Aloy that she would be protected.

— Those men were heavily armed. — Nil shrugged, — So, are you going to take it or not?

— Of course. I express my sincere gratitude for your help. Stay in the light. — Avad came closer, took Elizabeth from Nil, and carried her to the Palace, but stopped when he heard her behind him:

— One more thing. Can I come here tomorrow and… visit her?

— What for? — the Sun King asked, turning around.

— I'm her father.

Avad said nothing, just raised his eyebrows in surprise, his honey-brown eyes flashing, then he nodded and left.

***

— Where are we going? — Liz asked, touching the very unusual object on Avad's head with her hands. He didn't mind, and he just smiled at her actions.

— I'll leave you to a woman now, she's good and she'll take care of you. — he said, crossing another corridor and turning right.

— When is my mom coming? — the girl moaned softly, looking at the painted walls and carpets. The king didn't know what to say, so he just nodded, saying:

— Soon. I think it will be very soon. That was the end of the questions, and he was able to let out a sigh of relief. He had often babysit with Itamen when he was very young, and he knew that one wrong word and the reaction could be completely unpredictable. And he didn't want to upset her.

They soon reached the right room. Avad opened the door and entered, followed by his guards. On one of the sofas in the room, Itamen was sitting with a book in his hands, and next to him was a dark-skinned woman with a halberd, who was lying next to her.

— Vanasha, — said the king, — Am I… not disturbing you?

— Oh, of course not! Hello, Your Radiance! — she got up and walked over to them, when she suddenly noticed Elizabeth, — What's this little ginger wonder? Hi. I'm Vanasha. And you?

— Elizabeth… — little Nora squeaked uncertainly, and Avad lowered her to the floor.

— Vanasha, this is… Aloy's daughter, and you must look after her in her absence. — the Sun King explained. The woman made a surprised expression, gathering her lips into a tube and opening her eyes wide.

— Does Aloy have a daughter? Seriously? And where is she herself?

— She… has something very important to do. You'll take on the second child, won't you?

— Of course. They'll both be fine, don't worry. — she made a small bow, took Elizabeth's hand, and led her to the sofa where she had been sitting. Avad motioned to his guards and left the room.

— So your name is Elizabeth? — Vanasha asked again, looking at the girl, who was looking at the pillows from the sofa.

— Yes. — she answered.

— You have such beautiful hair! — the woman smiled, stroking her hair. At first, the girl was a little confused by her actions, but then she even seemed to like it, — And very cute freckles! — Vanasha took her face in her hands and lightly shook her cheeks, causing a ringing laugh. — Just like your mom.

— Do you know my mommy? — Liz asked, surprised.

— Yes, everyone knows it. Well, I… we together saved the Prince Itamen from captivity Shadow Carja. — she leaned over to the girl and whispered in her ear, pointing to a ten-year-old boy with a book, — He is so engrossed that he does not notice anything… — and then she lightly pushed him in the shoulder, — Itamen, will you talk to us?

The boy put down his book and held out his hand to Elizabeth:

— Hi! I'm Itamen.

— Elizabeth! — she shook his hand and smiled…

***

As soon as the door closed, Aloy exhaled and hurried down the hall. This bunker was no different from the others. The same cold purple light, iron walls, and doors with holographic locks.

As soon as she opened the first door, she heard a voice that made her jump and grab her bow from behind her back, but then she realized that it was just a recording and calmed down. Was it possible that she hadn't been to a place like this for so long that she was reacting to things that should have been familiar to her by now?

— ATTENTION! GO DOWN TO THE MINUS FIFTH FLOOR! ATTENTION! GO TO THE ELEVATOR AND GO DOWN TO THE MINUS FIFTH FLOOR! — it came from somewhere. This bunker is located… under the ground? It's probably for the best protection. But… this record was meant for someone. Someone was waiting here. But who and… why?

Aloy found the elevator, and surprisingly, it was intact. It was the first time she'd seen an entire elevator in the ruins. She just need to understand how it works…

She took a step forward and found herself in a small booth. There was a holographic sign on one of the walls. Most likely, the control room. The numbers from one to seven were written in two columns. So, she need to minus fifth.

The seeker carefully pressed the five, and suddenly the doors slammed shut with a bang, and the booth quickly flew down. Aloy leapt up and flattened herself against one of the walls. The Great Meridian Elevator had never been a place she trusted, because when the iron doors slammed shut, she felt trapped in a corner, trapped in a cage that she couldn't get out of. There was even less space here, and she wasn't sure if this elevator was working properly.

But at last the stall stopped and the doors opened, and Aloy quickly jumped out. She found herself in a fairly spacious room. There was iron furniture and things all around. It was like… a house. Did someone live here?

Aloy walked forward, looking around, and suddenly the focus noticed the recording device. And not one, but two at once. This is already interesting. She scanned first the first one that lay closest to her:

_— Can you hear me? I repeat, turn around and fly back to the USA! Your bunker in Thebes has been destroyed by a new batch of chariots! The Khopesh-class battle platforms have blown up the entrance hatches and completely destroyed your bunker! You can't be here! I repeat! Go back to the USA!.._

The recording stopped, and Aloy was left wondering. Thebes? Such a… familiar name. Where is it? It must be a long way from here.

— Okay, what's next… — she scanned the next entry:

_— Sir, we have to go back. You heard everything. — the first voice said. She didn't know him. But there was a loud noise in the background._

__

— Where to? Where should I go back to?! — and this one already sounded familiar… This is… Ted Faro… 

__

— Mr. Faro, I'll take you to a safe house in Utah. You'll be safe there. — yes, her guesses were confirmed. It's him. 

__

— What? There?! 

__

— What's the matter, sir? 

__

— I… don't want to spend the rest of my days there! Anywhere but not there! My bunker in Thebes was specially equipped just the way I needed it! And what will happen there? A small space under the ground that will endlessly remind me of everything that happened?! 

__

— But… we can't go to Gaia Prime, all the entrances and exits are sealed. 

__

_— All right. Fly to Utah…_

__Now she remembered how she knew the name. Elizabeth mentioned that Faro had flown to Thebes in her diaries. But… it seems that his plans had to be changed. So this was the hideout o had gone to? But… where was he, then? After all these years, he… should have died. But why these instructions? Why was she told to come down here?_ _

__There was a door at the end of the room, and finding nothing else unusual, Aloy went to it._ _

__As soon as the door opened, she gasped in surprise. In the center of the room was a large glass capsule, and inside… the body of Ted Faro. What's it?.._ _

__Aloy moved even closer and saw the control panel. There were a lot of different buttons, but the attention was drawn to the largest, red, with the inscription «defrost». He's… still alive, but… frozen. Yes, Sylense was talking about… cryogenics. People tried to freeze themselves to keep their lives alive for years to come. Did they… do it?.._ _

__She pressed the button, and suddenly the capsule slowly opened, and cold white steam poured out. Aloy jumped to the side and waited…_ _

__…After a few minutes, he began to move. Staggering, groaning and holding his head, the man climbed out of the capsule and got to his feet, but immediately fell. Of course, he hadn't done it for so long._ _

__Aloy ran to him and took him by the shoulders, trying to help him. Startled, he pushed her hand away and jerked his head up. There was fear in his eyes, shock, horror. Of course…_ _

__— El…Elizabeth?!_ _

__To be continued…_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Ted Faro is alive! And what will happen next? To be continue...


	8. Chapter 8

Fresh and cool, but at the same time warm night air rushed into the room through the open window with a sudden gust of wind and brushed the curtain, rattling its metal rings. The woman opened her eyes and half rose from the bed. The cold light of the waning moon glinted on her dark skin, hiding behind the mountains. So, morning is coming soon…

Vanasha glanced at the crumpled pillow and decided she didn't want to go back to it, so she got up and made up her bed.

Almost immediately after the victory in the battle Avad invited her to the Palace to become the bodyguard of Itamen. And she, almost without hesitation, agreed. During the time she had served with Nasadi in the Sunfall, and then planned her escape, she had become very attached to this boy. Anyway, it was just what she needed.

The girl Avad brought in yesterday… she looked incredibly much like Aloy. When she was asked any questions, she always frowned comically and pursed her lips, thinking, and Vanasha could hardly restrain herself from laughing. But for the whole of last night, she had been somewhat distant and distrustful. Maybe it's just the nature of Nora?

Suddenly, strange sounds were heard from the next room behind the wall. This was the room where Elizabeth was put to sleep. She and Itamen had become good friends the night before, and the boy had even asked her to stay in his room for the night, but in the end they had decided to keep her separate.

The woman headed for the door to the hallway. She was held responsible for both of them, and she had to check what had happened.

The room was quiet and dark, and the curtains, like hers, rattled in the wind. The girl was curled up in a ball, covered with a blanket over her head and sobbing softly. Vanasha sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and pulled the blanket off her head, seeing her large gray eyes swollen with tears.

— Hey, what's up? — she ran a hand over her small, freckled hand.

Without answering, little Nora abruptly hugged her, still crying, and only after a few minutes began to speak:

— I… I was at home and… and then the big scary machines came and… and killed my daddy… and… and then those evil masked man came and… and my mommy fought them, and then… then… — then she burst into tears again.

— Don't worry, it was just a dream. Just a bad dream, you hear?.. — she stroked the girl's back, listening as the sobs gradually grew fainter, and soon they disappeared altogether.

— Where's my mom? -. Elizabeth drawled, snuggling even closer to Vanasha.

— I don't know. But I'm sure she can handle it, and she'll be back very soon. Your mother is very strong. — the woman put the girl back in bed, covered her with a blanket, and wiped the last of her tears from her face, — Hey, do you want me to tell you how Aloy and I saved Itamen? This is a very interesting story.

Elizabeth yawned and settled herself comfortably, ready to listen.

***

— El… Elizabeth?! — the man continued to stare at her, but he couldn't move. His whole being was trembling with fear.

— No, I'm Aloy. A copy of Elizabeth Sobek. — she came very close, took his hand, and, despite his futile attempts to resist, forced him to his feet. He could see her face, hear her voice, just like the one that had died hundreds of years ago. — Now listen to me, will you, Ted?

— I… I… I don't… — the huntress put a hand on his shaking shoulder and looked at him sternly, — Yes, I… I'm listening.

— And so, once again. I'm Aloy. And now it's 3044. Elizabeth Sobek's project, «Zero Dawn», was a success. Life was reborn. And, for quite a long time. — she saw him open his mouth to say something, but she didn't give him the chance, — But thanks to you, we were deprived of knowledge. Deprived of Apollo. Therefore, there are now many tribes on earth. We hunt, forage, and survive as best we can. But… twenty-three years ago, there was a glitch.

— Glitch? W..what kind of glitch?..

— All of Gaia's subfunctions were out of control, and Hades tried to take control and destroy all life again. Gaia then decided to self-destruct to stop him for a while. She also ordered me to be created. Elizabeth's copy.

— What for? She's… waived the protocol…

— For me to destroy Hades. And I did it. Hades was defused five years ago. But that's not all. Get all of Gaia's subfunctions out of control. And Hephaestus, too. Twenty years ago, machines that had previously performed their tasks became dangerous. Now they are attacking people, and Hephaestus continues to create new and more dangerous models. A few days ago, I found out about a group of bandits who are hunting me and have something to do with Hephaestus. Now some of them are located upstairs, right next to the door to the bunker.

— If, as you said, people live in a primitive way, then they are unlikely to enter here. — Faro covered his face with his hands and took a few steps around the room, — I'm alive, after all these years, in the new world we've created, and I'm talking to Elizabeth's clone! I've lost my mind!..

— Stop feeling sorry for yourself! — Aloy shouted, — You've already done enough things that you should have been killed for! Elizabeth died correcting your «mistake»!

— I know… I know that…

— But I won't kill you. What… you did… is unforgivable. But I'll need you. You… know where the complexes are and how they work, so…

— What?.. You said it's full of dangerous cars and murderers and you want me to go there?..

— You'll go if you want to live! — Aloy picked up the spear, — And if you don't, just say the word and I'll cut your throat. Is the choice clear?

— Yes. — he answered softly, looking at the floor. That's what she thought.

— All right. Is there another way out of this bunker?

— No. But… there's one way to get out of here. Let's go, uh…

— Aloy. — the seeker prompted, and followed him.

They went back to the elevator and went up a few floors to minus two. Leaving the booth, they entered a small room that had a huge iron door that ran the length of the wall. She wonder where he's taking her…

— Identification is underway. — came a voice from above. Scan started, — Genetic profile confirmed, entry allowed. Hello, Mr. Faro and Dr. Sobek. You can pass now.

The man turned to Aloy in surprise:

— Dr. Sobek?

— We have almost one hundred percent similarity with her. How do you think I got into other complexes? — he only sighed at her words. Nor did she expect any answer…

The door opened and they entered. Aloy opened his mouth in surprise when he saw exactly where they went. It was a huge hangar containing several large «iron birds,» as the shaman from the Cut had called them. Only those weren't workers, but these… could they still fly?..

— What…what are these machines called? — she asked, coming closer and examining them.

— These are planes. They were invented a long time ago, long before I was born. Well, these are much more modern, of course.

— So… you used them to fly?

— Yes. Now you will understand how it is.

Aloy stopped looking at the planes and turned abruptly in Faro's direction, one eyebrow raised:

— Wait a minute… You want us to fly out of here in this?

— Well, of course. I told you, there's no other way.

— Are you sure you can control it? I don't want to crash, by the way.

— I can control it. I've… been doing this practically all my life! — Ted said, and walked over to one of the planes. Aloy rolled her eyes. Okay. She would have to trust him, though, because she wasn't sure she could handle a whole bunch of armed men on her own. Besides, they knew she was here, and they were probably waiting at the entrance, — This one would do. Over here!

She went to the right plane and climbed inside, finding herself in a soft seat. Faro, on the other hand, was sitting next to him on a similar one, only there was a strange structure in front of him. Probably… a manual control panel or something.

— Buckle up. — he said, pressing some buttons and levers. Aloy stared at him blankly, — There's a belt on your chair. Zip it up, it's safer that way. — he watched her struggle with the belt, then picked it up and fastened it himself.

Then the man pressed something else, and somewhere above, a hatch began to open. Soon the hole was so large that a plane could easily pass through it.

— Well, let's go. At first, your ears may hurt, but don't worry, it's normal.

Aloy nodded and tightened her belt. And what is she just going to do… She sits in this strange contraption and entrusts the management to the man who almost killed the whole world.… Elizabeth was waiting for her in Meridian, and she planned to return to her alive after all!

Suddenly the machine began to move. First she drove back to the end of the hangar, and then a little to the right, and finally she saw a fairly long road ahead of her, with two lines of bright blue light shining on the edges. Then she felt a sharp jerk that caused her to hit the back of her seat, and then the plane moved quickly forward. Aloy bit her lip, clenched her hands into fists, and squeezed her eyes shut.

At one point, she felt the shaking stop and opened her eyes. They were already in the air, and the bunker was far behind them. As Ted had warned, her ears were full and her insides were tingling, but she just winced, trying not to show it.

Her heart was beating very hard, it was scary, but it took her breath away. She was flying. Flying high above the ground.

— Where are we going now? — Faro asked. He tried to stay focused on the controls, but it was obvious that he couldn't tear himself away from the view below, either. They flew over the Sunfall, — Is this… a city? But… this place was also the base of the «Zero Dawn» and… the spaceport…

— This is the Citadel. Or the mad Sun King's summer palace. But the king is long dead, and here are those who have not yet come to terms with the fact that his son is at the head. — she looked at Ted's blank face, — Okay, now's not the time to talk about this. Fly west and… — Aloy activated the map in her focus and found the mark on it. After a few seconds, she sent it to Faro's focus, — Right here.

— But that's… in the Las Vegas area. Why do you want to go there?

— There's another base for the bandits who stayed at the bunker. I need to find out who they are and what they want.

He said nothing and turned the plane West.

To be continued…


	9. Forbidden west

Aloy mumbled something under her breath, opened one eye, and immediately jumped up. She was still on the plane. With Ted Faro. So it wasn't a dream…

— Where are we? — she asked, turning to the man. He was still driving the machine in silence, looking ahead and thinking about something, so he didn't immediately respond to her question.

— Huh?.. Yes, we… we've already flown almost all of Nevada and are approaching California. At least to the place where she once was…

Aloy looked out of the window and saw rocks below, overgrown with vegetation, and dense forests. But most of all, her attention was drawn to strange moving objects flying in the air. What's it? Birds? No. They couldn't be such big. Machines? Glinthawks? Or… something else?

And then she realized that she was about to learn the answers to her questions. Suddenly, these creatures began to approach their plane. And, very quickly. Yes, they were machines. But not glinthawks. She didn't know any such machines. They were lighter and more agile, literally floating in the air, diving and emerging from the thick clouds. Their wings were not as massive as those of kites, but consisted of several flexible metal rods, between which something was stretched. Apparently, it is this structure of the wings and a small lightweight design that allows them to soar so smoothly in the air.

Aloy scanned the machines with her focus, and immediately the words «New car, Sunwing» popped up in front of her eyes. The weak points were the same webbing on the wings and two electrical dischargers on the sides of the torso. The focus also revealed that they were conducting a series of electrical attacks.

But there was no time to study all this in more detail, because the sunwings were already very close. There were four of them, and they surrounded the plane from all sides. Aloy froze, waiting for their next move.

Suddenly, one of the macines flew a little further away, froze in the air for a moment, then flapped its wings violently in the direction of the plane, forming a shock wave with an electric charge.

The plane lurched to the side, and some of the lights in the cabin burst.

— Hurry up, we need to sit down! Get down on the ground, quickly! — Aloy shouted. But she wasn't sure that they would be able to do it. The attacks came from all sides, and they were shaken from side to side. Well, I'll have to take a chance, — Open the door on my side!

— What?! Are you crazy?! — Faro protested, trying to pull out.

— Trust me! We won't land until we get rid of them! — he sighed heavily in response, but still opened the door with a push of a button. Aloy picked up her bow and turned toward one of the machines, taking aim. Killing kites was always difficult, as they flew from side to side and were well armored. It was even harder to hit the small electrical spark gap on the sunwing's side. But she soon succeeded. The impact force of her high-precision arrows was great, so she threw the light sunwing aside, and while the machine was briefly disabled, Aloy shot into the wing membrane, tearing it apart. The machine went down, and most likely crashed on the rocks, because she never saw it again.

After a while, she managed to eliminate another sunwing, while Ted managed to get away from the remaining two far enough ahead that he could now begin to descend.

— You're a good shot. — he said suddenly, turning briefly in her direction.

— Thank you. I also used this bow to kill the deathbringers and corrupters you created.…

— W..who?

— Chariots. «Peacemakers,» Ted. Hades and the cultists under his command have dug up and resurrected many of your killer machines, and I've had to fight them. Fortunately, we managed to destroy Hades before he sent a signal and woke them all up… — Aloy said, watching his reaction. I wonder if he really admitted his guilt, or if he was just afraid for his reputation.

They landed right in the middle of the forest. The plane crushed the trees like grass and finally stopped. Aloy climbed out and waited for Faro to come out, too. He looked around, inhaled the fresh air, even picked a blade of grass from the ground and put it in his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it. He hadn't seen wildlife, hadn't breathed fresh air in a very long time, and this was the first time, after so many years.

— So what do we do now? This plane won't take off again, I'm sure. — he asked, confused.

— We'll walk, that's what. Any problems? — Aloy said, opening the focus map. They were only a few kilometers away from the base, and it would be possible to cover this distance in just a few hours.

— What if we run into something else creature along the way?..

— I'll kill it, and we'll move on. Just stay out of the fight and stay out of the way if you need to. Now let's go! — she picked a direction and started walking, and Ted Faro trailed after her.

***

— What is it? — Elizabeth picked up her fork and turned it over in surprise. Itamen looked at Avad, then at his mother, and at Vanasha, who had risen from her seat beside him and walked over to Elizabeth's seat.

— It's a fork to eat with. Haven't you ever seen anything like this?

— No… — the girl replied, still examining the device.

— Look, — Avad speared a piece of food, then put it in his mouth, — Like this.

Elizabeth tried again, her fork clenched in her hand, and finally managed to prick a piece of meat and put it in her mouth:

— So delicious! I've never eaten anything like this. — she finished the food on her plate as quickly as if she hadn't eaten in a long time. Vanasha came over and, smiling from her dirty face, wiped it with a clean towel.

— Haven't you ever tasted meat? — the woman asked in surprise.

— No, I have. But at home, it's… it's different. This meat is very soft and smells delicious. I've also never tried this. — she pointed to the corn, the potatoes, and the bowl of fruit.

— Then what do you eat? — Avad asked.

— Meat and fish. In the summer, we collect mushrooms and berries. More different herbs. And we sometimes have bread when the seeds are grown. And tomatoes. Also, when we find the turkey's eggs, daddy makes a delicious pie.

— Your dad… who came yesterday? — the Sun King asked, finishing his meal.

— No, another dad. Who stayed at home. — the girl replied. Avad raised his eyebrows, but didn't ask any more questions.

Soon dessert arrived. A large cake was placed in the center of the table, cut into pieces, and then spread out on everyone's plates. Avad, Nasadi, Itamen, and Vanasha began to eat, and Elizabeth stared at the dish that had been brought to her for a while before she broke a piece and put it in her mouth.

Her eyes squeezed shut with pleasure, and the girl herself mumbled contentedly.

— Do you like it? — Vanasha asked.

— Yes, very much! It's… so sweet! What's it?

— It's a cake. Dessert. You've never eaten anything like this, have you?

She finished the cake just as quickly, smearing the cream on her face again.

Avad laughed and nodded to Vanasha to give the girl another piece. He couldn't don't smile, when he look at her. Especially because that she looked so much like Aloy. He liked to look at her funny smile, her big gray eyes, and her many cute freckles. If he had been able to persuade Aloy to stay in Meridian four years ago, then… maybe it would have been his girl.

He also couldn't figure it out. Elizabeth was talking about someone who lives with her in the Sacred Land, but the person who came yesterday… was from the Carja tribe. He remembered how long ago he had confessed to his crimes and been sent to Sunstone Rock. He participated in the Red Raids. Would the Nora have let such a man in? And, it is unlikely that he would have stayed there himself. Aloy herself had been avoiding the subject, so… it wasn't that simple.

— Your Radiance! — suddenly a guard ran into the terrace. First one, and then two more. They all looked very excited, — People had seen a huge machine to the northwest of the Meridian. She's smashed up the quarry at Cut-Cliffs and… seems to be heading this way…

***

— Well… we're here. — Aloy whispered, pointing at the wooden fence. It was the same as on the previous two bases, only taller and longer. The focus saw a lot of people and a signal coming from behind the fence. Most likely, this is their center, and here are all their forces and weapons. And the answers they were looking for, — Do you know what could have been here before?

— I… can check… — Ted began to look at something in his focus, waving his fingers in the air. Aloy watched him for a few minutes before he finally finished, — Here… was the Hephaestus complex, a sub-function of Gaia responsible for making machines.

— What? As it is a complex of Hephaestus? So, this is where he… is?

— Apparently, yes. But why are you so surprised by this?

Aloy didn't answer him. What did they want? Why had they lured her here? For her to… help them? Or to kill her?

— We need to get in there. And as soon as possible.

— No! I'm not going to go there.

She turned to him, her eyebrows raised in confusion:

— What do you mean? How come you're not going to go there? Or have you forgotten what we agreed on, Ted?

— I'm the only one who managed to survive and see the new world! I literally just came to life, and you're asking me to die again?! — he shouted, and Aloy looked back at the gate, startled. The distant conversations behind them stopped, and there was silence. They heard them…

Covering the man's mouth with her hand, the huntress dragged him into the bushes. If one of them came out now, she could do what she had done last time: kill him and disguise herself with his clothes to get into the base and then enter the complex. And if it doesn't work out, then… she'll have to think quickly about what to do next.

When the gate opened and six people ran out at once, Aloy knew it wouldn't work. And when they all put their hands to her right ear, her heart almost stopped. This is the end…

— They're there! In the bushes! — one of them shouted, and all of them rushed at once. Aloy jumped to her feet and ran to the side, quickly pushing Faro to the ground and telling him not to get up.

She was grateful that only two of the warriors had bows. They were the ones she killed in the first place. The others had only knives, hammers, and spears. Running from them and dodging them, the seeker tried to stay as far away from them as possible, because at a distance they could not do anything to her. Soon, well-aimed shots pierced their chests and backs.

Aloy went back to Ted. He was fine. Except that he's very scared and covered in sand and leaves.

— Come on. It seems that the base is still calm. — she took off the dead warrior's clothes and mask, and pointed to another one, — Get dressed quickly.

When they were wearing their clothes, they could enter the base. Aloy shoved Ted in, closing the gate behind them, but not completely, in case they had to run.

As soon as they took a few steps, one of the bandits began to approach them. Aloy tensed, but she wasn't as scared as she'd been the first time.

— Did you find anything outside the gate? — he asked. Aloy nudged Faro with her elbow. If only he could think of something, if only he wouldn't be stupid…

— We, no. But the others noticed something and went to check it out. We were told to go back to the base. — she breathed a sigh of relief at his words, then nodded as if to confirm.

— All right. Be vigilant! — he left, and Aloy patted Ted's shoulder approvingly. He did it.

— And then what?.. — the man asked in a whisper as they moved away.

— I don't know yet. But we have time to think. Now, let's go, we must behave naturally and not arouse suspicion. Is that clear? — he nodded in response, and they walked around the base, in a circle. The area was just huge, and it was necessary to quietly explore everything here.

Fortunately, everyone here had focus, and the presence and use of the device could not arouse suspicion, so they both activated their focuse's and began to scan the area. The signals came from everywhere, from every warrior, but the most powerful came from a huge metal door set in the rock.

Surely this is the entrance to the Hephaestus complex, but if it is there, it is unlikely to be easy to get there. But… there must be a way.

— THREAT DETECTED! ATTENTION! THREAT DETECTED! — suddenly it was heard all over the base. Hephaestus. He noticed them. But… it's just him, right? The warriors do not know that by «threat» they are meant. So there was still time to escape.

Aloy pulled Ted toward the exit. They had to leave as soon as possible. She couldn't die, she couldn't.

— Wait! Where are you going? — the bandit called out to them when they were almost at the gate.

— Check where our people are! And the environment outside! Suddenly the threat is there! — Faro answered, opening the gate. He seemed to believe it, and they left the base.

— And you're doing great… I didn't even expect it. — Aloy said, taking off her mask and inhaling the fresh air.

— Thank you. — the man nodded, also removing his mask.

— I've detected a threat! Over here! We were deceived! Come on! — shouted a man who appeared from behind the gate. This is the one who asked them questions. Apparently, he still did not fully believe them.

Suddenly all was still. The man who had just noticed them also ran away. Aloy turned on her focus and saw that all the bandits had climbed onto the towers around the perimeter of the base and were crouching down, covering their heads with their hands. What's happening?..

The silence continued for a few more minutes, after which the ground shook. The Huntress remembered the night at the Sun Tower, her dream, which had seemed very strange to her at the time. Is this really true…

She grabbed Ted Faro's arm and pulled him away, away from here. And on time. In the next moment, a huge creature crawled out of the ground. It was the size of a fighter, but it had giant iron legs, a head with teeth as sharp as hundreds of knives, a huge carapace on its back, and bright red eyes.

The same thing as in her dream… no, now was not the time to think about dreams! He had to kill her now, no matter what.

— Get out of here! Run, Ted, faster! — she shouted, and she ran away, but in the other direction, scanning the machine at the same time. «Shellsnapper».

Suddenly the machine sank its teeth into the ground, and a powerful wave went straight towards Aloy, carrying sand and stones with it. Aloy managed to jump out of the way. It seems that these teeth are the weak point. And if they are repulsed, this shellsnapper may not be able to carry out such an attack.

Taking advantage of the clumsiness of the machine, she quickly aimed at the teeth and parried them, spending one arrow on each of them. Well.

Meanwhile, the shellsnapper was preparing its next attack. Rising to its feet, it abruptly jumped into the air, rising only a couple of meters, and then fell back down with a force.

— Ah! — Aloy was thrown back into a nearby tree, and she felt a sharp pain in her back. The blow fell there. She forced herself to stand, knowing that if she didn't, she would die.

Scanning the machine again, Aloy realized that if the components on the paws were repelled, there would be no such attack again. So she knocked the parts off her front paws as quickly as possible, and then ran around the machine to get to the rear ones. And she succeeded.

But as soon as the last paw was neutralized, the shellsnapper's shell glowed with a bright purple light, and stones began to fly around it in a circle. The behemoth had a similar attack, but it looked a little different. Aloy looked around for cover, but there was no cover, so she didn't think twice, but ran right up to the machine and crouched down.

The rocks were torn apart, and debris flew in all directions. Fortunately, it didn't hit her.

Aloy scanned the body of the machine again, and this time her attention was drawn to a strange red component at the very top of the shellsnapper's head. What's it? The core?

And it really turned out to be the core. Now she knew exactly what she had to do. Grabbing the edge of the shell, Aloy climbed up and began to climb up to the head. The machine jerked, tried to shake her off, but couldn't.

Soon she was there. She tucked her bow behind her back and took out her spear, then slammed it into the component, shattering the glass and piercing the core through. The shellsnapper let out a terrible roar, then sparkled and fell. All. It's all good now.

Aloy climbed down and walked over to Ted Faro, lifting him off the ground and setting him on his feet. He was shocked by everything he saw.

— And… what do you suggest now? — he asked.

— I think… — Aloy began, when suddenly a powerful purple wave came from the Hephaestus complex. It covered the base and was approaching them. The seeker quickly pushed Ted to the ground and dragged him behind the carcass of the dead machine. Even after death, their carcasses did not miss the blows, and she often used this in battle.

And so it happened. The wave did not touch them, and passed on. It took a couple of minutes for Aloy to realize how lucky they were right now. After scanning the base, she realized that all the bandits were dead.

— THE THREAT IS NOT ELIMINATED! THE SIGNAL IS SENT TO DESTROY ALL WHO POSE A THREAT! THE MAIN CLUSTER WILL BE DESTROYED! AIM FOR THE MERIDIAN! THE MAIN CLUSTER OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREAT! — Hephaestus's voice rang out.

Meridian? Hephaestus wants to destroy the Meridian? No. No! Elizabeth! Elizabeth was in Meridian!

— Hurry, we must get to the Meridian! Let's go! — Aloy walked briskly in the right direction.

— Where to?..

— It doesn't matter, but I need to get there right away! — she paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and turned to Ted, — There is my baby daughter there.

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

— Aunt Vanasha, — Elizabeth said, following the woman down the corridor to the room of Prince Itamen, — Will this machine kill us?

Vanasha stopped, picked up the girl in her arms, and continued walking:

— No, of course not, baby! Everything will be alright. The warriors will destroy her before she reaches the city, don't worry. — she tried to smile, but it didn't work. A creature that could destroy a quarry and a settlement near it so quickly wouldn't be easy to kill. And based on how excited and frightened the warriors were, this creature is really very strong and will quickly get to the Meridian. There was hope in the instrument of Oseram, which several years ago managed to protect the city. Of course, it wouldn't have worked if it hadn't been for Aloy. Sun and Shadow, where is she now?..

— Wait! — someone shouted from behind, and footsteps sounded down the hall. The woman turned and saw a man in the armor of Carja.

— Hi, Daddy! — Elizabeth said, and waved at him.

— Daddy? — Vanasha was surprised, looking from the girl to him, — I would not say that you are similar. Although, now I understand why she has such eyes.

— What do you mean, what's outside? What's inside is more important. — Nil said, — Has anyone ever heard of machines coming here? It looks like no one is going to leave.

— We are safe in the Sun King's palace. Why go somewhere? — Vanasha bit her lower lip and raised her eyebrows, looking into Nil's eyes.

— I was up north, at the quarry, just as the machine came in. She tore down rocks and threw stones. And those who were near her, we will never see again. Their ashes are forever soaked into the stones, and their blood and guts are smeared all over the quarry by the machine. Do you really expect to be able to contain it? — the woman opened her mouth to say something, but he continued, — I was watching all this from the bushes, and then, when I decided to leave, other machines appeared in the sky, like glinthawks, but spitting electricity. A little later came the other, is larger than the Behemoth, but less Thunderjaw. They had… such strange details. Like daggers placed on the sides of the head. I saw one of those machines take out a guard. It pierced him through and then trampled him underfoot.

— Aren't you ashamed to tell a child such things?

— Hiding the truth is like trying to prove to the dead that they're alive. She must know this, because sooner or later life will reveal everything that we tried to hide.

— And why did you come?

— I want to take her and get her as far away from here as possible.

Vanasha grinned as she lowered Elizabeth to the floor and came close to Nil. She put her hand on the edge of his waistcoat and whispered:

— You will not take her anywhere without the King's permission. And he won't give it to you, because Aloy said to keep her safe in the palace, okay?

— Aloy personally handed her over to me and told me to bring her here. So there's no need to retell what I've already heard. The machines will be here soon, and I want to save her while there's still time. Her journey has only just begun, and I don't want it to end so soon. When you know that there are rocks ahead that could collapse on your head at any moment, don't you take the opportunity to go the other way?..

Suddenly, they all heard a terrible crash. Elizabeth screamed and grabbed Vanasha's skirt. The woman walked briskly toward the Sun Terrace, and Nil followed her, picking up the girl.

Avad, Erend, and the Vanguard were already standing on the terrace. They all watched as a huge machine came out of the ground, destroying the Meridian Gate, and threw stones at the bridge, which was already beginning to fall apart. The people who were on it tried to escape, but did not have time.

Suddenly, another explosion was heard in the distance. He was from the south.

— The elevator is collapsing! — someone from the city shouted.

— We're trapped. — Nil said, turning to the king. Elizabeth was crying, Itamen was standing silently beside Nasadi, and Erend was looking around at everyone present, not knowing what to do.

— No, there's another way out of here. — Avad said suddenly, — There's a back door in the northwest part of the palace. There is a ladder made there, which we will use to descend from the cliff. — he looked at one of the vanguards, — Run to the city, bring the people here. All those who follow you, take them to the back door. Erend, you're coming with me. Hurry up!

***

— Aloy! — Ted snapped his fingers in front of her face, bringing her to her senses. Apparently, she was thinking about something. Of course, she has a lot to think about right now. Especially after the events of today…

They were sitting around a campfire, resting after a long day's journey. They would have to spend the night here, and in the morning they would move on.

— What?

— I… just wanted to… thank you and… why? Why are you helping and… protecting me after what I've done?

— This isn't the time to think about it, okay? — Aloy snapped, not wanting to continue this conversation. She had been madly angry with the man from the moment she first saw him and heard his voice in conversation with Elizabeth Sobek. The whole world, billions of people, died because of it. And a life could die with them. Go away forever. And even when a way out was found, when Elizabeth sacrificed herself to correct his mistake, he killed the Alphas and erased an important part of what they had worked so hard to achieve. For what they gave their lives!.. And now what? Is he trying to… apologize?

— Listen to me! I… just want to say… thank you. — he turned away and paused. She let out a sigh.

The dark night had cast a shadow over the Meridian woods, and the only source of light now was the bonfire in the center of their small camp. Aloy reached for her duffel bag and set it on her lap, rummaging through it. The first thing she found was the lens of the shellsnapper she had killed earlier in the day. Before leaving the base, she decided to extract it and take it with her. Then there were the remains of the dinner, wrapped in a rag, wires, shards of wood, and… a book? Yes, it was Rost's diary, which she had found in his mountain hideout after returning to the Sacred Land a few years ago. The same day I found out about Elizabeth. Since then, she had only opened it a couple of times while reading one of the pages.

Aloy carefully took out the diary and opened it, selecting the first page that came to hand.

_«Today was… a difficult day. I had to quickly go hunting, find and kill a wild boar for us. Enough for the whole day. Then just as quickly it was necessary to cut it up. This time I didn't manage to remove the skin carefully, it was slightly torn and stained with blood, so I had to throw it away. I was in a hurry, because I couldn't leave Aloy alone. She is only four years old, and a couple of days ago she got sick and is very unwell. But it seems that after the healing decoction, she felt a little better. I added some sleepy willow to it, so it fell asleep quickly. And… it just so happens that she was lying next to me, and now she's holding my hand so tightly that… it looks like I'm going to have to sleep with her.»_

She smiled. Unfortunately, these events did not remain in her memory. Probably because she was too small. Just like Elizabeth is now. Will she ever be able to forget what she had to go through and see? Aloy was certainly hoping. This whole thing… shouldn't have happened. Lizzie wasn't supposed to be here. She shouldn't have been in the Meridian, which is now being attacked by hordes of new dangerous machines. If only she could get there before them…

_«Oh, Great Mother… Why didn't she lock the door when she went to wash!.. — Aloy chuckled and even blushed a little as she recalled the incident. It was only a year before the Proving, she was seventeen years old, — «There is a small shed attached to our house. There are always two barrels of water there, and a few rags to dry off with. We can't bathe in the river in winter, it's too cold. Therefore, for such cases, I made this room. But there is a special board on the other side of the door to lock it. And today, Aloy didn't. I went in, thinking there was no one there, and I saw… something I shouldn't have seen.…»_

Aloy laughed almost soundlessly at what she had read. She remembered Rost opening the door, even taking a couple of steps inside before he looked up and jumped in surprise. When she saw him, she screamed and tried to cover herself with her hands, but there was nothing to do. He hurried out. Then all the evening he did not speak to her, and turned away in confusion when she tried to speak to him.

These funny memories lifted her spirits a little, and putting the diary back in her bag, Aloy lay on her back, closing her eyes. Tomorrow would be a long day.

***

A huge crowd of people walked through the forest, trying to stay close and not disperse. At the front and at the very end were the warriors, with the Sun King, Nasadi, Itamen, Vanasha, Erend, Nil, and Elizabeth in the center, surrounded by the Vanguard warriors. Then there were all the others: merchants, artisans, aristocrats, hunters. They had been walking for quite some time, moving North. They hoped to reach the Claim, where, thanks to strong defensive walls and weapons, they hoped to hide from the machines.

After a few more hours of traveling, when the forest finally gave way to the desert, they decided to stop and rest. The people built many fires and sat around them.

Elizabeth was sitting on a rock, drawing something in the sand with a stick. She hadn't spoken to anyone in the last couple of hours, and no one could figure out why.

— May I sit? — Nil suddenly heard from behind him, and then he saw a black-haired girl who was already sitting down next to him by the fire, — No one expected this to happen, right?

— Maybe. In addition to Aloy, is that.

— Do you know Aloy? — Talanah rested her cheek on her fist.

— I thought everyone knew about the huntress from the tribe of Nora, who saved the king.

— Yes, but I can see that you know her personally.

— We were partners. Killed robbers. And then. — he pointed to Elizabeth, who was still playing on the ground. Talanah raised her eyebrows.

— So that means… Are you the father of the little Thrush?

— What?

— Aloy is my Thrush, and I am her Hawk. She visited Meridian when this girl was still in her belly and… I just called her little Thrush, that's all. A few days ago, Aloy was also at the Hunters Lodge with King Avad and said that she had brought her with her. She promised to show me later, and I haven't seen her since. Do you know where she is?

— After we freed Elizabeth from some bandit's camp, she sent me to Meridian with her, and she went off to look for something, and I… — he didn't finish, because Talanah nudged him on the shoulder, pointing to the ground. Elizabeth stared at them and listened intently.

— Hi, — Talana waved at her, — Come here, don't be afraid.

Little Nora came closer and climbed into Nil's lap.

— Hi, I'm Talana. And you're Elizabeth, aren't you? — she studied the girl carefully and waited for some answer, but instead it was a question:

— Why does Carja have such strange hair?

— What? — asked Talanah, surprised, — And how should it be?

Elizabeth found a strand of hair on her head, twisted into a tourniquet and with a wooden bead at the end.

— That's it. And my dad has dreadlocks on his head. I wanted one, too, and he said he'd make me one later.

Talanah looked at Nil, who shook his head:

— She was raised by another man in the Wild East. Not me. You'd better ask Aloy when she gets back. — the man's eyes narrowed ambiguously before he felt a heavy tug on his finger.

— Look! — Elizabeth pointed to the Meridian behind her, — What is it?

He looked closer and saw smoke in the distance. That was to be expected, he had warned they to leave. But what could have surprised Elizabeth so much?

Nil stared at the night sky for a long time, until finally he noticed a few black dots moving toward them. Oh, no.…

He looked around for the bonfire where the royal family was sitting, then walked brusquely over to Avad and slapped a hand on his shoulder. The Sun King stared at him blankly, and Nil silently pointed to the sky.

— Erend, gather them all! We have to get out of here right now! — the Vanguard capitan nodded and its warriors dispersed to inform the tired men of the unscheduled continuation of the journey.

***

— How much farther do you say we have to go? — Ted asked, catching up with her.

— If we hurry, we can make it in a few days. Let's go. — ignoring his complaints, Aloy, on the other hand, quickened her pace, letting him know that they would reach the Meridian at all costs.

— Look, you've seen these machines! — he suddenly stopped in his tracks, and she looked at him with displeasure, too, — Do you really think you can handle them? Even if you do, then… Hephaestus will create new ones! It's useless!

— What do you suggest I do? To stay? I told you, my daughter is there, and I have to save her! If your loved one was in danger, wouldn't you do anything to save them?

— Some things are inevitable… — he said softly.

— Yes. But we can change something. — Aloy rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers, then turned her back on him resolutely, — If you want, go on with me. If you don't want to, don't go. It's your choice. But I won't stop halfway. — she gave him a quick glance and walked on. It was quiet behind her for a while, but then she heard footsteps. Running. He was catching up with her. Good. So he didn't risk being left alone in a world where he was unlikely to survive on his own.

They walked on in silence. Aloy thought about how sorry she was that she didn't know these places. It would be possible to find a herd of riding machines and take control of one of them. They would have gotten there much faster that way.

After a while, they came out of the forest, and now they were walking through the desert. Occasionally, tall pines appeared, as well as iron ruins and the remains of the machines that the forerunners used to move around. In all this, Aloy recognized something familiar. I think she's already been here.

Carson City! Elizabeth Sobek's hometown. So they're already in… Nevada? She think that's what they used to call this place.

After an hour of driving, she saw the rusty gates of a place she already knew. Sobek Ranch. Ted Faro saw them, too, and turned to Aloy. She nodded.

— We… can go in there if you want. — the huntress suggested.

— Y..yes. Yes, come on. — there was something odd in his voice. Some kind of… sadness?

They entered the ranch. The man turned around, looking at the ruins. Maybe he was here once, maybe he wasn't. She had no idea what it would be like to see what you was used to seeing alive… dead. Destroyed. And, moreover, to realize that all this happened through your fault.

They walked on until they were in the center of the ranch. Ted froze. The body of the man in the iron armor lay motionless, his head thrown back.

— Is that… her?.. — he asked, his voice trembling.

— Yes. — Aloy walked over to Sobek's body and motioned for Ted to come over, then gently brought her fingers to the button on Sobek's chest. The next moment, her face appeared in place of the helmet.

Faro stood still and stared at him. He said nothing, and hardly breathed.

— Here, — Aloy took a globe-shaped pendant from her bag and handed it to him, — This… I found here when I was here a few years ago. It was in her hand.

The man took the object in his hands and squeezed it.

— This… this was my gift to her…

The Seeker looked surprised, but didn't show it, putting a hand on his shoulder:

— Look around you, Ted. All this is a monument to Elizabeth. What she did is priceless. And… I want this world to live. So that her labors would not be in vain. I didn't let Hades destroy it, and now… I have to stop Hephaestus. If… you really cared about her, help me do it.

— Yes. Yes, let's go. — he handed her the pendant and headed out of the ranch.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

— This is the last one! — Talanah fired at the unknown flying machine, and it fell to the ground next to the other carcasses. As people began to run, the machines started firing electric charges and circling around the crowd. It became clear that there was no escape from them, so the hunters of Lodge took out their bows and rushed to fight.

— All right. Thank you all! — Avad said. — But I think it's dangerous to stay here. We're not that far from the Meridian, so other machines might come.

— What do you want me to do? — Erend asked.

— We're moving right now. How long will it take us to reach the Claim?

— It takes two or three days to reach the border. And this is the best case scenario. But it won't be easy to cross the border. At the gate to the Claim, there is a Stormbird. It's not difficult to fool one or two people, but all the residents of the city… will not go unnoticed. I'll have to kill him. — the Captain of the Vanguard explained, rubbing the back of his head, — We could really use Aloy right now, right?

— Yes. But I'm sure she knows about it, and soon… I hope she'll come to the rescue. — Avad remembered something and turned to Vanasha, — Do You know where Elizabeth is?

— Probably with his father. I'll bring her in.

— Yes, bring her. And let her be with you and Itamen. — he promised that she would be safe, and he will keep his promise.

Vanasha went away and found Nil and Elizabeth. The girl was already asleep. No wonder, it had been night for a long time.

— I'll take her, if you don't mind. — she reached out to take her, but stopped when she heard it:

— And if I object?

— Then take her yourself and follow me. — the man sighed in displeasure, but took Elizabeth in his arms and followed Vanasha. The men had already packed up their things, or at least what they had managed to carry, and were preparing to go. They had survived the Red Raids, the Battle of the Spire, and many other things, but they had never left Meridian. It was something new and very dangerous. Something that stone walls can't save them from. Then why go to the Claim? Would that save them?

He could only hope for a miracle…

***

— Y..you… can you go on slow down?! — Ted shouted, his hands gripping her waist. Fortunately, they encountered a herd of striders along the way, and Aloy tamed one of them. Faro didn't like this idea, he was afraid to go on this «incomprehensible thing», but the choice was already given to him. And he didn't want to be left alone in the middle of a desert teeming with dangerous machines, and without food and water.

— No, but I can pick up speed. — Aloy quipped, spurring the strider on. They had already passed the Sunfall and were approaching the Blazon Arch, where they would descend to the lake and cross it to the side of Sun Carja. She had recently asked Ted if he could swim, and when he said no, she had decided that she would probably be able to find a boat somewhere on the beach.

— Are you kidding me?!

— No, I want to save my daughter before those machines get to Meridian.

— Don't you think it's already happened? That… is it too late? That you're in such a hurry for nothing! — Faro said suddenly, and Aloy suddenly braked the machine, getting off.

— We're here. Come on, let's go down to the water. — she started down the road that led to the Blazon Arch. The man followed her. How could he say such a thing! Can't he see that this isn't a joke? But deep down, she knew he might be right. They may indeed already be in the Meridian. Then we can only hope that the residents will have time to leave. And that Elizabeth would be brought out.

They walked past the falcons, trying not to attract their attention or arouse suspicion, and went out onto the dock. She had several boats parked at her side, and Aloy picked out the best one she could think of and pointed it out to Ted.

— Are you sure these guys don't mind if we take their boat? — he whispered, sitting up.

— Just act natural, and cover your head with your hands if you don't want to get an arrow in the back of your head. — Aloy answered, taking up the oars, — I'll do the rowing now, and then, if I'm tired, I'll give it to you. Can you row?

— Yes, I can. — he nodded, and the huntress pressed down on the oars, pulling away from the shore.

— Hey! Where to? — kestrel shouted, realizing what was happening.

— The best fish in the deep. We want to sail away to catch more fish! — Aloy replied without turning around. How many people had she deceived in these few days? It must be a lot. But this was how she saved her life. Her and… the person's opposite her…

The warrior seemed to believe it. And she had no doubt that it would work. There is often fished by the Wanderers and it was not unusual.

Aloy began to row toward the Bright Market. This should take about half an hour, no more. And then to reach the Meridian-about the same, even less.

She rowed for a long time, until the boat landed on the island. Here she once saved Elida. The beds, the small garden with flowers, the bags of things, and everything else were still there. Probably, Elida still sometimes here remembers the Atral.

There was a battle ahead, the seeker knew that. It was necessary to stock up and prepare. Maybe there's something to be found on this island?

And soon, she did find some shards and ridge-wood, as well as meat and a couple of healing elixirs. She don't think Elida would mind if she took it all.

After making the arrows and putting the rest in the bag, Aloy climbed back into the boat and told Ted to row. He was pretty good at it, and that was good.

After a while, they were already in the Bright Market. After tying up the boat, Aloy helped Faro out of it and pulled her along. The settlement was empty. only the occasional guard could be seen in the streets, and voices could be heard from the houses. So, people just hid in their homes. Good.

A guard stopped them at the entrance to the village:

— Where are you going? Didn't you hear what happened in Meridian?

— No, but I know there are machines going there. We need to warn the residents and the Sun King. — Aloy replied, but she saw a grin or disappointment on Carja's face, — Is something… wrong?

— You're late, Nora. The machines attacked two days ago.

— W.what?! How is that? It can't be!

— Believe me if you want to, don't believe me if you don't want to. But it's true.

— What happened?

— First, a huge machine came out of the ground and smashed the quarry. Killed many people. Almost everyone who was there. — it must be a shellsnapper, Aloy decided, — And then the other machines came. Like glinthawks, only they throw electricity. And came others, of sizes larger than the Behemoth, but less the Thunderjaw, and huge sharp fangs. — she didn't know these ones. Probably, Hephaestus created such models, and many others. This is going to be harder than she thought.

— What… happened then?

— They went to the city. The biggest creature started throwing rocks. Destroyed the bridge and the elevator. The people were trapped, but the Sun King led them out the back door of the palace. They went north, into the Claim. They want to hide there.

— How do you know all this? — Aloy asked.

— I was with them. When we left the city, I was ordered to run here and report what had happened, so that we would be ready to defend ourselves.

Aloy couldn't say exactly how she felt at that moment. She was glad that the residents had left, and that Elizabeth was safe now. But she also knew that it wouldn't last. And that going all the way to the Claim, they doom not only themselves, but also the Oseram to death. Hephaestus ordered the destruction of the main cluster, which means that the machines would have lost track for a while, if the people had dispersed to different places, dispersed.

She took Ted by the elbow and pulled him toward the city, ignoring the guard's warnings. There was no time to lose. These machines had to be destroyed. Of course, Hephaestus could create new ones, but at least she would have time to decide what to do next and get to the evacuated residents of Meridian.

They walked briskly along the road through the woods, approaching the camp at the city gate, but when they came out into the open, Aloy stopped. No, she was frozen, unable to move. There were ruins on the site of the Meridian. Not this one…

The camp was completely destroyed, and the bridge to the Meridian… just wasn't there. Just as the Carja guard had said.

— Faster, we need to go to the village! — Aloy said, coming down the stairs. It was the only way the machines could go. They were probably already there, heading north, catching up with the humans.

The village was also destroyed, but there were no machines in it. That's right, they've already left.

— No! — dropping to her knees with a thud, Aloy put her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to open them again. She knew that time was short, that she had to hurry, but even if she wanted to, she would not be able to cover the distance that they had covered in two days, in a couple of hours. And the machines? Could she really fight that many alone? Of course not…

— Aloy, — the focus suddenly beeped, and she saw Sylens standing in front of her. What?..

— You? So what now? Are you going to ask questions that you already know the answers to again? — she asked sarcastically, glancing back at Faro for a moment. He had a focus, and he saw and heard it, too.

— No, but why? We don't have much time, by the way, so listen carefully. — she's interested in it. Does he have a… plan?

— Well.

— There's an underground hangar with working planes not far from here. Moreover, with combat aircraft. Do you remember the dig site where I first contacted you? It's there. See you later, Aloy.

— Wait! — she shouted.

— What?

— Thank you. I didn't think you'd help.

— It is profitable for me. Moreover… there is another important matter that I cannot complete without you.

— Gaia?

— Yes. You can't get into the Hephaestus complex. And even if you can, you won't last long. And it would be wiser to first restore the core of the entire system.

— And then it'll all stop, won't it?»

— Of course. The machines of Hephaestus will be disabled, and all others will become peaceful. Just like twenty-three years ago. Now hurry up. You care about Elizabeth, don't you? — the image disappeared, and the sound faded.

Now there's a chance. You just need to use it.

***

— Well, do you know how to operate this thing? — Aloy asked, buckling her seat belt. Now on her own.

— Do you think their management is so different? — Faro muttered, strapping on his own seat belt and opening the hatch.

— How fast can we get to them? — she was very worried. She was afraid she wouldn't make it. She was already late once, and because of that… Erza died. If they had come a little earlier, then… then… now she can't late.

— If, as you say, it's not far from Gaia Prime, then two or three hours will be enough.

— All right. — Aloy nodded, leaning back in her chair. She was terribly tired and wanted to sleep, but the thought of the upcoming fight did not allow her to close her eyes even for a minute.

The plane quickly covered the distance. For a long time they flew over the desert, but when Aloy looked out of the window and saw the Hunting Grounds below and Thunderjaw walking there, she realized that they would soon be there.

Ahead of them were the mountains and the Pitchcliff between them, and near the settlement was a huge motley crowd. They're alive. She made it in time.

— Sit down somewhere near here. And as soon as possible. — Aloy instructed, and Ted began to slowly descend. Through the glass, she saw people pointing at the unknown flying machine with their fingers, some even prepared bows, but when the plane landed and Aloy got out, everyone immediately rushed to her with loud shouts and laughter.

She pushed her way through the crowd, looking for someone she knew, and soon spotted the red helmet of the former Carja warrior.

— Nil! — she said, running to him, grabbing him by the shoulders, — Where's Elizabeth? — he made a sad face. — What? Is something wrong? Nil, say something!

— I'm sorry… — he said softly, lowering his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. No. No, it couldn't have happened, — I'm sorry she's not here to meet you right now. Remained with the Royal family in the Pitchcliff.

— You're idiot, — Aloy managed with a small smile, — Take me to them, Nil. I want to finally see her.

He nodded, and they walked toward the settlement. Aloy spun around, looking for the top of Elizabeth's red head, but she couldn't see it. However, a little further away, at a table, sat Avad and Nasadi, and opposite them sat Vanasha.

The Sun King turned around and opened his mouth soundlessly. Aloy raised her eyebrows, and when he understood her, he turned away:

— Elizabeth, come here. Look who's here.

— Who? — it was heard not far away, and in a couple of seconds the girl appeared. She looked at Avad, and he pointed to Aloy. Little Nora quickly fluttered her black lashes, froze in place, and only then ran to the seeker, — Mommy! Mommy, you're back!

— Yes, Lizzie… — Aloy held her as tightly as she could.

— Mom, there were huge machines! They broke the bridge, and then we ran away from them!

— Were you afraid? — Aloy asked, grinning.

— Very much. — the girl extricated herself from Aloy's embrace and looked earnestly into her eyes, — Mommy, are we going home now?

— We'll be leaving soon. I promise you that. — Aloy said, lifting her daughter into her arms, and then turned to Awad, — The machines will be here very soon. I'll need some help to defeat them.

— Aloy, I…

Suddenly, everyone heard a shout outside the gate, as well as a crash. Aloy handed Elizabeth to Vanasha as she approached:

— Please protect her, Vanasha! — she shouted, and ran toward the sound. A hundred meters away from the residents of Meridian, a shellsnapper emerged from the ground, not far from it were other, new machines that the focus identified as «tremortusks», and sunwings circled in the sky.

— Aloy, I'll attack them from above! — she heard suddenly, and saw Faro rushing toward the plane. Good.

— Aloy! Over here! — a familiar voice came from behind the rock, and as she rounded it, she met Talanah's gaze — Let's deal with them, Thrush!

— Of course. — Aloy crouched down next to the Hawk, — Look, — she pointed to the largest machine, — It's a shellsnapper. And all you need to know about it is that you need to strip it of its teeth and components on its paws. And then I'll figure it out. I think you already know how to fight those flying ones called sunwings. But those tremortusks, I myself see for the first time. But I think we need to shoot them off these… — she scanned the machines, — «tusks.» And they also have a container with a blaze on their stomach. Point the gun at her.

— All clear.

— Yes, I get it, too. — Erend said behind Aloy. — The Vanguard will do what they can.

— Thank you. — Aloy smiled.

— I said I don't like fighting machines, and I do. But right now, my daughter's life is at stake, and I won't miss the chance to fight you shoulder to shoulder again. — Nil came up from the other side.

— I didn't doubt it. Now come on, we've got to get this over with.

They all came out of their hiding place and picked up bows, but did not start shooting, because the plane flying in the sky began to drop bombs on machines. Aloy watched as the components fell away, sparks flying in all directions. At one point, the explosive hit the core on the shellsnapper's head, and the machine roared and fell.

— Yes! — Talanah exclaimed, raising her bow above her head, — Who's sitting inside this thing?

— It's a long story, Talanah. The main thing is that he is saving us all now.

Meanwhile, Ted dropped more bombs, which killed two of the tremortusks. There were three more to go. Aloy was beginning to think that this would be the end of it, that he would finish them off, when suddenly six sunwings began to circle around the plane, throwing electric projectiles at it. It began to twist and turn in the air, and the machines still attacked, and soon pieces of the plane began to fall off.

— Oh, no…

Suddenly the plane began to fall rapidly. Aloy darted toward him, but Nil grabbed her wrist, stopping her. The sunwings were shooting at him, hitting him, and that only made him get closer to the ground faster, until he fell with a loud crash, followed by an explosion…

— Aloy! They're coming to us! — Talanah shouted, and ran to fight with the other hunters and warriors…

…After a while, they managed to deal with the machines. When the last tremortusk fell, Aloy quickly ran to the place where the plane crashed. She knew that it was almost impossible to survive after this, but suddenly…

— Ted! Ted, can you hear me?! — she was scattering debris, trying to get to the control cabin. Only the rear part of the plane exploded, which means that the front part suffered only from a collision with the ground. Ha! As if that wasn't enough to kill a man!..

Suddenly she saw a hand sticking out of the broken door and tried to pull it off, but she couldn't.

— Erend, help me! — she shouted to the captain of the Vanguard, who came up, and he jerked the door open. She saw the body. Ted Faro's body. He lay still, — Help me to get him out of there.

They managed to pull the man out of the cabin and put him on the ground next to the plane. Aloy put her hands on his chest, but she couldn't hear his heartbeat. He wasn't breathing.

— No… — she whispered, closing her eyes. Why did she feel sorry for him? She didn't know. After what he'd done, she'd hated him, but now, after he'd died, saving them… It was truly a brave thing to do. Worthy of respect…

— Well, he tried to improve. — came a voice in his right ear.

— Sylens, I… how much time do I have to sort out with Gaia?

— I don't know. But hurry up, before Hephaestus sends new machines.

— Will you help me fix it?

— I'll contact you when you're there. See you soon. — the conversation was over. Aloy got to her feet and turned to Erend:

— I have to go. Inform their that you can return to Meridian. At least to what's left of it. And find Avad and Vanasha, I need to pick up Elizabeth.…

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to everyone who reads this! I know, if you've seen the trailer for Part 2, you know that Sylens is likely to be the main antagonist there. But I like this character. He's quite interesting, and his endless arguments with Aloy are something) So for me, he will play the role of an ally, as it was in the first part. Like this.
> 
> And I also feel very sorry for little Elizabeth( Imagine how stressful it is for a four-year-old child!
> 
> And the death of Ted Faro, of course! I really want to know what you think about it. I'm waiting for your comments!


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